— 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 —

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"PETER, WAIT!" DR. CONNORS GRABBED PETER'S WRIST BEFORE HE COULD LASH OUT.

"Pete." Benjamin, one of Peter's other cousins—and Amelia's younger out of her two older brothers, poked his head from around Harry. Apparently he'd been following him up the steps of the house porch. "It's just Harry."

"Harry?" Peter asked. It was the only word that his mind confirmed as the emotions tangling the strings of his heart clouded his head and judgment. There were so many questions running around in his head. Primarily, why was Harry on his doorstep, and why was everyone so calm about it? The man was not only psychotic, but he'd been involved in Gwen's death.

Peter's hands tightened into fists, but relaxed as Connors placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yes, Harry. Your best friend, Peter, and I believe your cousin's—"

"Boyfriend," Benjamin interrupted. "But more importantly, why aren't you dressed?"

Peter gaped, his face twisting with twelve different expressions at once before rubbing his eyes to massage the pain of confusion. "Dressed for what?"

"Harry!" Amelia exclaimed, finally catching up. It had taken her a minute longer than the others to reach the door, and by her hostile look it was clear that Peter wasn't going insane. However, as she received a look from Connors that implied she should calm down, she placed a fake smile on her face with an uncomfortable laugh. "You're looking less green."

"Um, thanks?" Harry replied, deciding it was better not to ask what she'd meant.

"We'll wait here while you change, Pete," Benjamin once again reminded him. "We'll work out some excuse for being late so that your date doesn't get the wrong first impression."

"Date?" Peter questioned, his brows furrowing. "What exactly am I changing for?"

"The theater, Pete." Benjamin sighed. "Harry arranged a double date for this evening, remember? He convinced his co-worker to give you a shot. She agreed. She's what, you're secretary, Har?"

"I gave her that promotion not long after I inherited the company," Harry corrected. "She handles a lot of the paperwork for sure, but I'll let her go into the specifics later. It gives them something to talk about."

"And was I not good enough to receive an invitation to this evening's entertainment?" Amelia asked, crossing her arms.

"I thought you said Michael was getting back from Costa Rica this evening," Benjamin replied. "You mentioned something about crossing genetics with engineering or something similarly smart."

"Right..." Amelia drew out her reply, trying to recall if she even knew what he was talking about. And then it clicked: an experiment she'd completely forgotten about when focused on trans-dimensional traveling. "He wanted some nanotech to monitor his vitals. Thought they'd be more accurate than—"

"You lost me at nanotech," Benjamin admitted while interrupting. "You and Pete were the smart ones, Rich was the one always in front of a camera, and me, well, I was gifted a case of middle-kid-syndrome."

"Don't sell yourself short," Harry teased, nudging Benjamin's shoulder. "You might not know as much about science or the arts, but you're one hell of an athlete."

"And I think I've hit my weird limit for the day," Amelia muttered under her breath, stepping back inside the house. "Dr. Connors, another word? Pete, you too. Apparently you've got a date to get ready for."

"Right." Connors quickly nodded his head, following the Parkers back into the house while leaving Harry and Benjamin on the porch.

The second the door closed, Amelia whipped around on her heels, shooting an accusatory finger in Connors direction before gesturing toward the front door. "What the hell was that?! What else did you forget to tell us?"

Peter nodded his head in agreement while crossing his arms. "You need to tell us everything, Doc, because it looks like you may have changed a lot more than you let on... How—how could I even let Harry walk into my house knowing what he did?"

"Because he wasn't involved in the death of Gwen Stacy this time around," Connors explained. "We found a cure for the goblin when his health began to decline."

A hopeful look crossed Peter's face. "So Gwen..."

Connors slowly shook his head, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Miss Stacy's fate unfortunately did not change, only the time and place."

"When?" Peter asked.

"Peter..." Amelia faltered. She could see how it was eating him alive. She'd witnessed his destruction the first time Gwen died. He'd grown darker, didn't care as much... Once or twice she'd even caught him ready to lash out on his own family. But the reminder that he wasn't the only one to lose someone that day, and that they needed each other, was enough to calm him down. Eventually he'd gotten over that hump. But she could still see that pain in his eyes whenever Gwen Stacy's name was mentioned.

"I don't think it's wise to relive such a dark time in your life," Connors replied. "Even if you don't remember the event in this lifetime, it won't feel any better than the last."

"I need—"

"You don't need to know," Amelia interrupted. "You need to get ready for your date. I know that you're not going to be able to look at Harry like he's innocent, but Benji's happy in this timeline, which is more than I can say about before. And from what I've heard from Dr. Connors, we can be happy here too, Pete. You just have to give it a chance."

Peter sighed, hanging his head, before looking back at his cousin. "And what if by changing things we've completely destroyed the space-time continuum, Mel?"

Amelia laughed. "Peter, we just fought a bunch of crazy-powerful dudes in a parallel universe... I think we can handle whatever this universe throws at us next. It's not like we have magic and aliens in this world, right?"

"I mean the evidence has never been conclusive," Peter shrugged. "Who knows, there could be an entire species we haven't even discovered yet and they could be living right under our noses. I mean, San Francisco has been making a lot of noise over the past few months."

Amelia scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You know those reporters just exaggerated that story. When Rich visited, he came back and said it was just a serial killer on the loose."

"Anything is possible," Peter countered. "Maybe magic is just science we don't understand yet."

"Stop stalling and go get ready," Amelia reprimanded, pushing Peter toward his room. "You can't be alone forever."

"Ouch," Peter feigned a wound. "And here I thought we were a team."

"Yeah, but no offense, your face isn't the last one I want to see before I die," Amelia retorted.

"Touché," Peter replied just as his own door was slammed in his face. He turned toward his closet, understanding there was no way out of his current predicament. He sighed then gulped. In no way was he ready for this. Sure, it had been almost four years since Gwen died but his heart was still trapped in a continuous fall, chasing after her with the hope that he could reach her in time.

But as he remembered catching the girl in the other universe, it was like Gwen had passed a final whisper. Let me go. And how could she ask him to do that? How could she just pass forgiveness when he'd failed her so horribly? He'd been consumed by those dark thoughts for so long that he wasn't sure he knew how to live without them...

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"PETE," HARRY INTRODUCED HIM TO THE GIRL AS THEY STOOD ON THE STEPS LEADING UP TO THE THEATER. "I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET MISS FELICIA HARDY."

"Charmed," she said as she took Peter's hand and placed a kiss atop. It was playful, and from the smirk toying at her lips, he could tell that she had planned to be the opposite of the very thing he expected. She had class and grace, but a touch of spunk that had opened doorways and paved the way for her to climb the social ranks within the Oscorp company.

"Peter," he introduced himself as if Harry hadn't already done so. It felt as if his heart was in his throat, making him nauseous and unable to speak at the same time.

"So I've heard," she chuckled, her smirk growing into a coy smile as she wrapped an arm around his, leading him up the steps once Harry and Benjamin took the lead.

"It's like he's never spoken to a woman," Harry whispered, but it was clearly loud enough for both Peter and Felicia to hear.

Benjamin cast a less than inconspicuous glance over his shoulder. "Yeah... but if you'd look at his track record you'd see he hasn't been on a date since his sophomore year of high school. He's about to graduate from MIT with a doctorate when most students are only half-way through with their masters."

"Sounds like you're pretty smart," Felicia noted.

"I like science."

"Cute," she teased.

But until they took their seats in the auditorium, the conversation between them ended. It was clear that neither of them were actually there for the interaction or chance at a second date—which sparked Peter's curiosity.

"So... why are you here?"

"The tickets and a promotion." She was blunt as she answered. There was no room for doubt as her gaze turned toward the stage while the lights dimmed. "I've already got my eyes on someone... and no offense, but you're not quite my type at the moment."

Peter's confusion only grew... that is until he turned toward the stage and caught sight of the red-head as the curtain opened. Felicia was immediately captivated despite the show just starting.

His spider-sense began to tingle. And for a brief second as he turned his attention toward the stage and met the actress's gaze, his world grew brighter. Colors were more vibrant and sound faded while her lips uttered his name even though they'd never met.

"Peter."

And then the ground began to shake and the ceiling overhead crumbled, shattering the psychedelic illusion. He snapped out of his trance just in time to watch the actress fall beneath the rubble as a makeshift skylight was implemented. Many members of the audience screamed, initiating the following chaos as they tried to rush toward the exits.

Peter sprinted toward the stage, pushing past the crowd trying to escape. The noise was deafening, but he kept his focus on the pile of broken plaster on stage and the girl he knew would not survive if forgotten. He didn't even realize that Felicia had followed him until they were both digging through the debris. He caught sight of her red hair first. Thankfully the wreckage had fallen in a pattern that left a small hollow space beneath. There was still a chance that she was alright.

"She's here," Peter said, gently moving the last bit of plaster to pull the girl from the opening he'd made. "I think she's alright."

As soon as she was free, Felicia immediately moved closer, brushing the girl's hair from her face with a relieved sigh. "M..."

"She likely needs a hospital—" Peter was interrupted as his spider-sense tingled, alerting him that this fight was far from over. His eyes searched through the settling dust for the source of the alert. Through the haze, Peter could just make out a shadow descending from the ceiling. It was only as the monstrous form landed and rose almost seven feet that he turned toward Felicia with wide eyes. "Run."

The lizard snarled and lifted its head toward the sky to release a deep shriek that momentarily silenced the room. The crowd recognized the escalating danger and chaos erupted once more. The crowd pounded on the exit doors, but it was almost as if they were blocked from the outside, trapping everyone and everything inside.

And then a second individual dropped down from the ceiling, rolling at the last second before brandishing a retractable spear. He lifted a hand to his ear, speaking without directing his voice at any one individual, "The mythos subject has been located ... understood. No witnesses."

Peter's hair stood on end as the hunter pulled out a small device, pressing a button before he rolled it down the center aisle. Immediately, gas began to fill the room. It had taken more than once assurance that the actress would be alright for Felicia to leave her side, but once he'd convinced her and she'd run off backstage, he could finally don his mask. The crowd was too busy panicking to notice the entrance of the Spider as Peter whipped a web turned the gas canister. With a quick swing, he flung the device out of the auditorium through the hole in the ceiling.

The hunter turned toward Peter, an inconvenienced look on his face that slowly twisted into a dangerous grin. "I didn't expect the Spider to come to play."

"I wouldn't get too excited there, Buddy," Peter retorted. "You owe a lot of people a refund for the evening you just ruined."

"Stay out of my way." The hunter didn't continue the conversation. Instead, his warning was offered like a threat. "You'll get your turn later."

As the hunter charged toward the lizard, his spear opened up and began to crackle with electricity. The lizard howled as pain rippled down his back once the spear made contact.

"Hey, I'm not sure PETA would approve of your methods," Peter called out, using his web to grab the spear before the hunter could shock the beast again. "You're just making it angry."

"That's when he does his best work," the hunter replied, implying that Peter had completely misunderstood his action. "He knows to finish the hunt quickly to avoid the pain of encouragement."

Peter's brow furrowed beneath his mask. "What..."

The lizard's head lifted into the air. Although it was clear he was bristling with rage, the beast began to sniff as if searching for something. The reptile snarled as he dropped down onto all fours, crouching toward the crowd as if stalking prey.

From behind, Peter could hear the red-head on stage begin to stir. As she slowly woke, the lizard paused, turning as if there had been an error in its original find.

The hunter's expression twisted into a pleased grin. He then addressed the beast as if speaking to a partner. "You found another, eh? Grab the goblin, I'll handle the girl. Remember, no witnesses."

The beast charged. Trampling anything that crossed its path. Peter was instantaneously torn between decisions. He was stuck in the middle-ground where if he waited much longer, he'd lose everything. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, muttering some self-encouragement under his breath. "You can do both. You're the amazing Spider-man."

His eyes flashed open and he made his choice. With one web he grabbed the lizard by its tail, pulling back before attaching the other end of the web to the hunter as he ran toward the stage. The hunter was yanked back by the renewed momentum of the lizard, providing Peter with enough time to reach her. Quickly, but carefully, he scooped the actress up into his arms before swinging over to the crowd.

He didn't hold back. With one kick, he broke down the door that had been bolted closed. On the other side, a dozen armored men dressed in black. They lifted their weapons, but Peter was quicker. He set the girl in his arms down into one of the theater seats before snatching the weapons from the arms of the armored men with a couple quick thwips. Peter pushed forward, dodging punches before knocking them unconscious and tying them up.

The crowd took his advantage though, rushing past him toward the evening light of the theater exit doors once they'd made it out of the auditorium. The lizard howled, dragging the hunter as he continued to charge, quickly making up for lost ground.

Peter fought his way through the crowd, realizing that he wasn't going to make it back in time. That only motivated him to be quicker, pushing through the swarm of people with a balance of enough strength to keep moving forward but not injure anyone in the process. He passed Harry and Benjamin last, who both looked as if they were searching through the crowd for someone—likely him and Felicia. He couldn't stop though. No matter how much he wanted to yell and reassure them that their own safety was priority, it would waste precious seconds of his attention that needed to be focused on her. He couldn't let her become Gwen. He couldn't let another civilian get caught in the crossfire of his fight.

He propelled himself forward, using the momentum of a web-swing to reach the chair just as the lizard ran past. He'd expected the reptile's claws to rake through his side as he protected the actress with his own body, but the impact never came. As he slowly turned his head, he watched as the creature instead slashed Benjamin across the chest, tossing him aside like nothing. The lizard then grabbed Harry and charged through the exit just as the hunter cut himself loose from the web that chained them to one another.

The hunter slowly stood, dusting himself off before unsheathing a pair of daggers that he spun in his hands. There was murder in his eyes as he took several steps toward Peter, but the sound of sirens deterred him. The hunter frowned as he looked around the crumbling theater and his lips curled back into a sneer.

"The hunt isn't over, Spider," the hunter warned. "Watch your back."

He tossed a smoke-bomb down onto the ground just as the cops arrived, storming the building. As much as he wanted to make sure his cousin was alright, the cops would take care of him. Right now, he needed to get the actress somewhere safe since she was the one who'd been the hunter's prey.

She still hadn't woken yet, which only made his job slightly easier. He gingerly lifted her back into his arms before escaping the theater through its newest skylight just as the police force made its way into the auditorium. The smoke slowly cleared, leaving only the destruction of what was once meant to be a tranquil evening.

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𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬| And they've finally met! Granted, Max was unconscious for most of the interaction, but she'll have her moment soon enough. Big things are coming as I finally start to introduce our villains and explain how Max's powers work. What do you guys think? Any theories? As always, don't forget to vote and leave a comment. Thanks for reading!