Ember blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sight before her. A man in a suit resembling the body of a lion was strapping a dark figure, a spider-like man, to a chair. The figure grunted defiantly, his voice thick with disbelief.

"It's no use tying me up," he sneered, the weight of resignation in his tone. "Spider-Man won't come for me. No one's ever done that. Why start now?"

Ember's gaze flicked to Spider-Man beside her, the two of them standing at the edge of the dark room, hidden in the shadows. She turned to him with a raised brow. "Trust issues, huh?"

Spider-Man shrugged, an uneasy half-smile hidden behind his mask. "Yeah. He's got a lot of them. And I mean a lot."

Ember sighed deeply, her wings rustling in frustration. She lashed her tail in irritation, a flicker of annoyance crossing her features. "Of course he does," she muttered, her voice tinged with understanding. "But we're doing this anyway."

With a swift, fluid movement, Ember ducked into the airlock, her wings folding back as she prepared for what was ahead. The door closed behind her with a hiss, and she prepared herself to confront the tangled web of distrust that stood between them and their goal.

Spider-Man, watching her, let out a soft breath. "Well, here goes nothing."

SCENEBREAK

The journey through the stars was long, and Ember could feel the weight of every passing moment in the pit of her stomach. As the ship neared its destination—a fortress drifting in the silent expanse of space—she swallowed back the anger that threatened to boil over. Every inch closer to this place, the more the memories of her past, the pain of betrayal, seemed to resurface. But she held her resolve, her wings twitching with anticipation.

Finally, the ship docked, and as the ramp lowered, Ember's patience snapped. She didn't waste time—attacking first with a flick of her tail, sweeping it through the air in a flash of movement, knocking one of the guards back. Without hesitation, she lunged forward, her claws gripping the bound figure of the dark spider.

"Not today," she growled under her breath, her golden eyes narrowing as she effortlessly lifted the spider from his restraints.

Heaven, the lion-suited man, raised his weapon to shoot, but before he could fire, Ember was on him. With a ferocious snarl, she sank her teeth into his armor, her bite sending a jolt of energy through her. She flung him across the hangar, his form crashing into the far wall with a satisfying thud.

The man groaned, shaking his head in disbelief. "A dragon? That's impossible!" he exclaimed, his voice a mix of fear and awe.

Ember didn't respond. She was already focused on the task at hand, her wings beating once to propel herself toward the Spider she had freed.

Spider-Man landed with a soft thud beside her, his hands reaching for the tangled netting that held Scarlet Spider in place. The other Spider, once freed, gave a small nod of appreciation as he stepped forward, dusting himself off.

"You game for me?" Scarlet Spider asked, his tone slightly more confident now that he was free.

Spider-Man chuckled, pulling down his mask slightly so his smile could show. "Yeah, thought you might need some hope." His eyes flicked to Ember, who was already turning back to the fortress entrance, ready for the next challenge. "I also got Ember with us."

Scarlet Spider raised an eyebrow, glancing over at the fierce woman who was already scanning the hangar for their next move. "That's... reassuring," he said, a note of both awe and wariness in his voice.

Ember didn't slow down. "Hope won't win this fight," she muttered, her wings flicking behind her with purpose. "But we will."

Scarlet Spider hummed thoughtfully as he aimed and shot a webbing at a goblin-like figure charging toward them, sending the enemy sprawling backward. "Nice to see some forces are with us," he said with a grin, clearly enjoying the momentum of their battle.

Ember, still scanning the room, caught the faint scent of Scarlet Spider as he passed by her. She wrinkled her nose, her golden eyes flicking to him in mild curiosity. "You smell like..." she trailed off, her head tilting slightly, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

Scarlet Spider raised an eyebrow, a half-smirk playing on his lips. "Like a sewer, I know," he said, clearly aware of the usual comment people made about his scent.

Ember blinked, then laughed softly, shaking her head as she took a step back. "No," she said gently, her expression softening. "You smell like hawthorn bushes and honey. It's a good smell."

Scarlet Spider blinked, clearly taken aback, and paused for a moment. "Hawthorn bushes and honey? Well, that's a first," he said, glancing down at himself as if trying to decipher what she meant.

Ember's smile grew, her golden eyes warm with a far-off glimmer. "Reminds me of my mother," she added softly, her voice almost wistful as the memories seemed to tug at her heart. "She always smelled like that—sweet, but wild. She used to bring me hawthorn flowers when I was little."

There was a quiet moment between them as the sound of distant blasts and the scrape of metal filled the air. Scarlet Spider glanced at her, his expression shifting, now a bit more subdued. "Sounds like she was special."

Ember nodded, her smile softening into something more introspective. "She was."

Ember's wings fluttered lightly as she gave Scarlet Spider a playful nudge, her golden eyes glinting with warmth. "You're a good man, Scarlet. I can tell," she said, her voice light and sincere.

Before he could respond, Ember was already skipping off, her wings carrying her swiftly across the hangar with a grace that seemed to come naturally to her. She glanced back once, giving Spider-Man a quick nod, signaling she'd be fine, before disappearing into the shadows of the fortress.

Spider-Man, watching her go, smiled to himself before turning his attention back to his friend. "You heard her," he said, reaching out to help Scarlet Spider adjust his webbing. "Looks like you've got a fan."

Scarlet Spider let out a dry chuckle, still processing Ember's comment. "She's got a way with words." He shook his head. "But yeah... guess I do have a bit of a soft spot for this fight."

"Good," Spider-Man replied with a grin. "We could use all the good people we can get."