chapter thirteen:
❛ spider women or white spider ❜

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

✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸ ✸

It was early morning, and the first rays of sunlight were just starting to peek through the skyline of New York City. Gwen, clad in her white Spider-Woman suit, with its sleek design and signature hood, swung through the quiet streets alongside Peter, the city still mostly asleep. The crisp air brushed against her face as she moved, her swings a little wobbly but getting better with each arc. She was still learning, still adjusting to her powers, but the rush of swinging through the city made her forget, at least for a moment, about the challenges back home.

Peter, effortlessly graceful in his Spider-Man suit, flipped through the air beside her, keeping a watchful eye on her movements. He glanced over, sensing her quietness. "You're getting better at this," he said, his voice light as they both launched off a building, their webs zipping them forward.

Gwen smiled beneath her mask, though the tension in her shoulders gave her away. "Thanks. Still not as smooth as you, but I'm getting there."

Peter noticed the slight edge to her words, the way her swings seemed a little more distracted today. "Something on your mind?" he asked as he gracefully somersaulted through the air before catching another web line.

Gwen hesitated for a moment, then sighed as she swung beside him, her voice thoughtful. "Yeah... it's Max. My little brother."

Peter, now curious, landed on a nearby rooftop, gesturing for Gwen to join him. She swung a little too quickly and stumbled slightly as she landed, but Peter caught her arm before she could fall. "What's going on with Max?" Peter asked, sitting down on the edge of the roof.

Gwen pulled her hood down, running a gloved hand through her hair, the morning light reflecting off the white fabric of her suit. "He's not talking to me," she admitted, her voice quieter. "Ever since we blipped back... it's like he's completely shut me out."

Peter tilted his head, listening intently. "Why do you think that is? I mean, the Blip messed with everyone, but he's your brother."

Gwen sat down next to him, her legs dangling off the edge of the building. "It's hard to explain. When we were gone for those five years, Max... he lost me, Peter. I was his big sister, and to him, I was just gone, like I died. But when we came back, I was exactly the same, while he's grown up. He's thirteen now, and he's had to go through all that time thinking I wasn't coming back. And now... I think it's just too much for him to handle. He barely looks at me. I don't know how to fix it."

Peter frowned, his mind processing what she said. "That's tough," he murmured. "Five years is a long time, especially for a kid. He probably built up a whole life without you in it. And now, you're back, but everything's different for him."

Gwen sighed, looking out over the city. "Yeah, it's weird. I thought coming back would fix things, but it's just... complicated now. I'm trying to connect with him, but it's like he's angry with me for leaving, even though it wasn't my choice."

Peter placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll figure it out. Give him time. He's just a kid trying to make sense of everything. You've always been there for him, and eventually, he'll see that."

Gwen smiled slightly at his words, but just as she was about to respond, her web shot out without her meaning to, and she swung forward, caught off-guard by her own action. In her distraction, she didn't notice where she was headed and smacked face-first into the edge of a rooftop pool.

*Splash!*

Gwen went tumbling into the water, her body flipping awkwardly as she landed, completely drenched. She flailed for a moment before she managed to float upright, sputtering as she wiped the water from her face. The morning light reflected off the pool, casting sparkles of light as she struggled to regain her footing.

From the pool deck, a little kid who had been watching burst into laughter. "Spider-Woman faceplanted!" the child giggled, pointing at her.

Gwen, dripping wet and now thoroughly annoyed, glared at the kid from the pool, though her mask hid most of her irritation. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," she muttered.

Peter landed gracefully beside the pool, hands on his hips, trying very hard not to laugh himself. "Spider-Woman," he said, barely keeping the humor out of his voice, "you'll get the hang of this soon. Really."

Gwen groaned, accepting Peter's hand as he helped her out of the water. "Well, Spider-Man," she said with a playful scowl, "we'll see about that. Maybe I'll stop diving into random pools one of these days."

Just as she wrung out her hood, trying to dry herself off, two more kids ran up. One held a small Spider-Man notebook and eagerly thrust it towards her. "White Spider, can I have your autograph?" the kid asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

The second kid jumped in immediately, arms crossed. "Her name's Spider-Woman, not White Spider!"

The two kids began arguing, bickering back and forth over her name. Gwen stared at them, completely exasperated, the water still dripping off her suit. She raised her hands, stepping between them. "Hey, hey! I don't care which name you use. Call me whatever you like, alright?"

The kids ignored her, still fighting over what to call her. Peter shot her a knowing look as she sighed deeply. "We should go before this gets out of hand," he said, and she nodded, shooting another web to swing away.

Once they were back in the air, swinging smoothly over the quiet morning streets, Peter glanced over at her again. "So, how's everything else going at home? You know, with your family?"

Gwen's mood shifted slightly, her voice more serious again. "It's... a lot. My mom's boyfriend, Enzo, and his daughter, Melina, moved in recently. Max has been bitter about it. He's pushing Melina around, being a total jerk to her. He bosses her around like he's in charge or something."

Peter flipped through the air beside her, nodding. "So, typical teenage stuff?"

"Yeah," Gwen agreed with a sigh. "But it's not just that. Enzo's trying to be this father figure to both of us, especially to Max. And it's really getting under Max's skin. Honestly, it bothers me too, but Max is taking it harder. It's like Enzo's trying too hard to be something he's not."

Peter thought for a moment before responding. "I guess Enzo's trying to fill a role that Max isn't ready for him to fill. Especially if he's already feeling lost after the Blip. Adding a new person into the mix can't be easy."

Gwen nodded, her voice soft. "Yeah, I think that's part of it. I don't hate Enzo or Melina-they're actually pretty cool-but it's a lot for Max. He's angry about a lot of things, and I don't know how to help him."

Peter swung closer, offering her a comforting smile. "Just be there for him. He might not realize it now, but having his big sister back is probably the best thing for him. He'll come around, Gwen. You'll see."

Gwen felt a small wave of relief wash over her as they continued to swing through the peaceful morning, her worries momentarily pushed aside as she focused on the thrill of the city below. Maybe Peter was right-maybe time would heal the rift between her and Max. But for now, she was just glad to have someone like Peter on her side.

Gwen and Peter swung through the early morning light, the city streets below them starting to hum with the beginnings of the day. As they approached her apartment building, Gwen signaled to Peter that she was ready to head inside. They both came to a stop, perched outside her bedroom window on the fire escape.

Peter grinned under his mask, giving her a playful salute. "See you later, Spider-Woman. Try not to faceplant today."

Gwen rolled her eyes with a smile. "Very funny, Spider-Man. I'll work on it."

She crouched down, reaching out with her fingers to slowly pry open her bedroom window, trying to be as quiet as possible. She cast one more glance at Peter and gave a quick wave before slipping inside. She landed softly on her floor, pulling the window shut behind her.

The second she stood up, she heard her mom, Linda, calling from the hallway. "Gwen? Are you up? I'm coming in."

Panic jolted through her. In one swift motion, she shot a web at the doorknob, latching it shut. "Mom, I'm changing!" Gwen called, her voice a little too hurried.

She darted across the room, yanking the blinds down over her window to block out any view of the fire escape. With her heart racing, she quickly peeled off her white Spider-Woman suit, tossing it into the back of her closet. She slammed the closet door shut just as she heard Linda jiggle the handle outside.

"You know we don't lock doors in this apartment!" her mom's voice came, irritated.

Gwen yanked the web off the door handle with a quick tug and cracked the door open just enough to peer out. "It makes sense to lock the door when I'm changing, Mom," Gwen argued, pushing past Linda as she stepped into the hallway.

Her mom wasn't backing down as they both moved toward the kitchen. "I get that, but you've been acting strange lately. We don't keep secrets, remember?"

Gwen rolled her eyes as they entered the kitchen. "It's not a secret. It's called privacy."

At the kitchen table, Melina, Linda's boyfriend Enzo's daughter, was sitting with a bowl of cereal, watching the argument with wide eyes and a mischievous grin. "Ooo, fighting already," Melina giggled, swinging her legs under the table.

Max, her brother, sat across from Melina, halfway through a waffle. He raised his head, barely looking up from his phone as Gwen and their mom continued to bicker. "Have you guys seen the video of Spider-Woman - or whatever she's called - faceplanting into a pole?" Max smirked, holding his phone up with the clip already playing.

Gwen froze for a split second, mortified as she caught a glimpse of herself slamming into the edge of the rooftop pool from earlier. Max continued, "Ugh, another superhero we don't need." He gave Gwen a knowing glance before returning to his waffle.

Gwen shot him a deadly glare, her fists clenched by her sides. "Really, Max? Another superhero we don't need?"

Linda, who was pouring herself a cup of coffee, shrugged. "I don't know. She's alright, I guess."

Melina looked up excitedly, her eyes wide. "She's so cool! I want to meet her one day!" she said with a big grin.

Enzo, Linda's boyfriend, walked in from the living room, pulling a jacket over his shoulders. "Sounds like she's a pretty cool girl. I think she and Spider-Man are dating," he said casually, dropping a kiss on Linda's cheek as he passed.

Gwen nearly choked on her water, sputtering as she heard that. "Spider-Woman and Spider-Man? Pfft," she scoffed, her face heating up as she tried to play it off. "Yeah, right."

She quickly started backing out of the kitchen, needing to get out of there before this conversation could go any further. "Anyway, I'm, uh... heading out," Gwen mumbled, practically stumbling over her words as she grabbed her backpack and bolted for the door.

She hurried down the stairs, her mind racing with the ridiculous idea that people thought she and Peter were dating. The last thing she needed was that rumor spreading around the city. As she made her way out of the building, she passed by Mrs. Henderson's old apartment. The door was open, and inside, she saw a boy about her age packing up boxes.

Curious, Gwen stopped and peeked her head in. "Hey, where's Mrs. Henderson?" she asked. "I haven't seen her around in a while."

The boy turned, and Gwen realized it was Miles, Mrs. Henderson's son. He sighed, his face somber. "She passed away two years ago," he said quietly, his voice filled with sadness. "I'm just finally getting around to picking up the last of her things."

Gwen felt a lump form in her throat. She hadn't known. Of course, she wouldn't have known. She'd missed so much in the five years she'd been gone. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Miles," Gwen said, her voice soft, feeling the weight of time and loss sink in.

Miles nodded, offering a small, sad smile. "Thanks. She always liked you, you know? Talked about you a lot before... everything."

Gwen nodded, swallowing hard as she realized how much had changed, how much had passed her by while she was gone. The world had moved on without her, and now she was playing catch-up, trying to fit into a life that wasn't quite the same as when she left it.

Gwen sat alone in the classroom, her foot tapping anxiously under the desk as she stared at the clock. It was the last day of school, but she wasn't feeling the usual excitement that came with it. The whole year had been a strange blur, as she tried to adjust to life after the Blip. Even though it had been five years for everyone else, it had only felt like a year for her.

She felt eyes on her and looked up, her gaze locking with MJ's. MJ was staring at her from across the room, a cool, detached expression on her face. Gwen instantly felt the familiar sting of bitterness creep into her chest. She glared back before breaking the eye contact and looking away.

Things had been awkward between them for a while now. Ever since that night at homecoming five years ago, when Gwen had ditched MJ and the others to run off with Ned to help Peter, everything had changed. For her, it had been recent, but for MJ and everyone else, those years had passed without her. And MJ wasn't one to let things slide.

MJ had figured out long ago that Gwen was keeping secrets from her, and that had been the breaking point. One day, MJ had flat-out told her they couldn't be friends if Gwen wouldn't be honest with her. Gwen, stubborn and protective of her new double life as Spider-Woman, had refused to open up. They hadn't really spoken much since.

Gwen sighed and glanced over at Peter and Ned, who were whispering at their desks a few rows ahead of her. She squinted, trying to figure out what they were talking about.

Peter must have noticed her approaching because he whispered to Ned quickly, "She's coming. Don't say anything."

"What's up, dorks?" Gwen smirked, pulling a chair over and sitting backward on it, her chin resting on the back of the chair as she eyed them both.

Peter smiled nervously. "Hey, we're just, uh, talking about the trip."

Gwen furrowed her eyebrows, already sensing something was up. "And Peter's plan," Ned chimed in, not-so-subtly.

Gwen raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You have a plan?" she asked, her gaze flicking between them.

"I don't- I don't have a plan," Peter stammered, looking a little panicked as he shot Ned a look.

"Sure," Gwen said, clearly not believing him but amused by his nervousness.

"No, he's just, uh, gonna collect tiny spoons when we're traveling to other countries," Ned added with a wink, clearly trying to cover up Peter's actual plan.

"Like a grandmother?" Gwen teased, laughing at the thought.

"I'm not collecting tiny spoons!" Peter squeaked, his voice rising an octave higher than usual.

Gwen couldn't help but laugh harder, enjoying how flustered Peter got. "Whatever, dork. By the way," she added, more serious now, "download a VPN on your phone before we go, so our stupid government can't track you while we're abroad."

Peter blinked, momentarily thrown off by the sudden switch in topic. "Uh, okay, I'll do that," he said.

With that, Gwen stood up, leaving them both behind as she walked out of the classroom. She was about to round the corner when she collided with MJ, who was coming in from the hallway.

Gwen stumbled back slightly, regaining her balance. "Watch it," she muttered, her hotheadedness flaring up.

MJ crossed her arms, her expression as calm and detached as always. "You ran into me," she replied coolly, looking unfazed.

Gwen narrowed her eyes, already irritated. "Whatever. I'm not in the mood for this right now."

MJ's gaze hardened slightly, though her voice remained level. "When are you ever in the mood, Gwen? You've been avoiding me for months."

"I'm not avoiding you," Gwen shot back. "I've just got... stuff going on."

"Yeah, stuff," MJ echoed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I get it. You've been keeping secrets for a while now. You think I don't notice?"

Gwen's temper flared. "Not everything's your business, MJ! Ever think about that? Not everyone owes you the truth."

MJ raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by Gwen's outburst. "I'm not asking for every detail of your life, Gwen. But you ghosted me. We were friends, and then you just... shut me out."

Gwen clenched her fists, biting back her frustration. "I didn't ask for this, okay? I didn't ask for any of this to happen! The Blip... it messed everything up. I was gone for five years, and now everything's different. You wouldn't understand."

MJ remained quiet for a moment, her eyes softening just a bit. "Maybe I would if you'd let me."

Gwen scoffed, feeling trapped in the conversation, her emotions swirling. "I didn't- I don't- Look, this is just how things are now. I'm different, okay? We're different."

MJ exhaled, her frustration finally showing through her calm exterior. "Yeah, I guess we are."

There was a long, tense silence between them before Gwen finally turned and walked away, not bothering to look back. She could still feel MJ's eyes on her, but she didn't stop. She didn't know how to fix this. Maybe she couldn't.

All she knew was that her life was split between the person she was before and the person she had to be now, and right now, she didn't have the energy to bridge the gap.

Gwen pushed open the door to her apartment, tossing her backpack onto the couch. She immediately noticed the sound of slamming cabinets from the kitchen. With a sigh, she kicked off her shoes and made her way toward the noise. Max was in the kitchen, banging things around, clearly upset about something.

She stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame. "What's going on?" she asked, not to Max, but to Melina, who was standing at the counter with a snack in her hand.

Melina shrugged, her face neutral. "He's in one of his moods again." She rolled her eyes and headed for her room, leaving Gwen alone with Max.

Gwen crossed her arms and watched her brother for a moment, her eyebrow raised. "What's your problem, Max?"

Max grumbled something under his breath, barely looking up as he slammed another cabinet shut. "I don't got a problem."

Gwen chuckled, stepping into the kitchen and leaning against the counter. "Stop lying, Max. Ever since I came back, you haven't been the same. You've been acting weird."

At her words, Max suddenly spun around, his eyes blazing with anger. "Gwen, do you not remember the day you *died*?"

Gwen blinked, taken aback by the intensity in his voice. She opened her mouth to respond but stopped, her mind trying to piece together that moment. "I... I mean, it's a bit blurry. I just remember sitting on the couch, and then everything went dark. The next thing I knew, I was back, and you were sitting there, staring at me like you'd seen a ghost. Melina was eating popcorn and saying, 'Isn't that Gwen from the picture?' and Mom was freaking out."

Max took a step closer, his fists clenched at his sides. His voice trembled, not with fear, but with anger. "The day you died, we were watching a movie together. Just you and me. And then I had an asthma attack. My first ever one. I couldn't breathe. I was panicking. You were about to get up and help me like you always did... but then-" His voice cracked as he relived the moment. "-I watched you dissolve. Into thin air. One second you were there, and the next, you were gone."

Gwen felt her chest tighten, the weight of his words hitting her like a punch to the gut. She hadn't known. She had no idea.

Max's breathing quickened as he continued, his anger bubbling over. "I wheezed so hard, I passed out, Gwen. I woke up in the hospital. And when I woke up, Mom told me that half the world had died that day. You were gone. Just like that."

He took another step forward, his fists trembling at his sides. "Some superhero or villain or whatever-we don't need them. It's their fault that I lost you. And now you're back like nothing happened. Like it's all okay. But it's not. I had to live without you for five years, Gwen."

Gwen's throat tightened. She had never considered what it had been like for Max, how her disappearance had affected him. It wasn't just that she had been gone; she had left him in the middle of a crisis, and she hadn't even known it. She didn't know what to say, the guilt gnawing at her.

"I... Max, I didn't know. I swear, I didn't know. I just-"

Max cut her off, his voice bitter and sharp. "You never do. You don't get it. And you probably never will."

With that, he stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Gwen standing there, her heart heavy with a pain she hadn't even known she was carrying. She wanted to say something, anything to make it better, but the truth was, she didn't know how. Not this time.

ASH SPEAKS!

spider-women or white spider? which one should be her superhero name?

i plan on doing a flashback chapter about gwen when she blipped back!

i feel bad for gwen:( so much has changed

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