Practice with Gwen

"Wow... that's impressive!"

"Thanks," Walt said to Gwen letting her down from where he caught her. "I got some practice in. Anyway if a situation comes up like that one, that's probably how I'll do it and you should do it the other ways we discussed."

Gwen nodded. "Got it. I definitely don't want to hurt anyone with my powers accidentally. Are you sure you don't mind practicing this and the other scenarios with me?"

Walt nodded. "Definitely Gwen. I have the spinal protector on just in case and spares in yours and Jubilee's sizes too. Jennifer is strong enough to not have to worry about it much but she should fit into one of mine."

Gwen nods but then gives him a funny look. "You obviously practiced and studied these moves hard and they're... a bit specific...why?"

Walt pursed his lips thinking about the answer to that question and the moves and scenarios he'd just demonstrated. He shrugged... he didn't want to keep it a secret. "A lot of Spider-People lose someone close to them trying to save them from these exact kinds of situations... they have a nasty tendency of poping up... they also quite frequently happen to "Gwen Stacys". I... wanted to be prepared just in case... even me being a "fake" Spider-Man is no guarantee that they wouldn't pop up... actually it could make them more or less likely to appear. I... I love you Gwen and that'd break my heart... seeing you go through that. The pain of accidentally killing someone. One of the Peter Parker Spider-Mans that works for me back home has made it his pet project to research all of the accidents he can and work out ways to prevent or "do it better". I reunited him with his "Gwen" but... it's his way of moving past it and he was awesome enough to help me along with a bunch of other friends."

Gwen hugged him. "That's... that's so thoughtful of all of you! I don't even know how to thank you properly for that."

Walt smiled hugging her back. "There's no need. We're all in this together and care about you... about each other."

She swallowed. "Wait... something you just said... about that Peter and Gwen... is that what you meant about my Peter?... cause I'm still not sure..."

Walt nodded. "Yup... it's up to you... I can try to do something about that but... not in your world. It's too important to your world and ultimately you as Spider-Woman to change that... but I could go about it in different ways... and take him from your world. He could work for my company but I'm not sure doing what. I'm not as familiar with him as other Peter's since he dies so early in your stories. He is your "uncle Ben"."

Gwen shakes her head. "He's not though. I mean he sort of is cause Peter and I grew up so close but-"

"No no," Walt says scratching his head before sitting down and patting the spot next to him. "You know there's other Spider folks yeah?"

Gwen sits next to him. "Yeah..."

Walt nodds. "Right. They're most often Peter Parkers or variations of him. There are enough others out there to have some varieties and variations like yourself. But Peters are kind of the go to for explaining the phenomenon of repeating tragedies and troubles. There are three tragic "death moments" that happen pretty often. Some of the alternatives like yourself have a higher chance and manage to avoid a few of events but the top one is there's always the loss of someone that makes them become a Spider-Man/Spider-Woman. For you it was your Peter. But for most Peter's it's his Uncle Ben. So it becomes the "Uncle Ben moment"."

Gwen covers her mouth. "Oh god! The poor May's!"

Wakt nods. "Yeah it's hard for May's and Peter's just like losing Peter was hard for you. Most usually become very strong moral compasses for Peter and those around Spider-Man. After that is the "Gwen Stacy" fates... which you already know about..."

Gwen nodded bitterly. "So many of them either die or they get messed up some other way... that's why when I travel to their worlds I think of myself as a "Ghost-Spider", like you said."

Walt nodded. "Yeah... it sure seems like a vast majority of the world's have Gwen Stacys targeted almost as much as Uncle Bens..." he paused because he knew the next part would be hard for Gwen but it was important to be honest. "And there's usually a third but we already avoided the worst part in your story and it doesn't happen as often as the other two."

Gwen blinked. "Something major already happened and changed in my story other than Murdock?"

Walt nodded. "Yes... there's a reason I did so much for your father."

Gwen wipped her head around to stare at him. "No-"

"He's fine. Don't freak out. A lot, but not all, of Spider-People experience "A Police Captain dying in their arms" a fair majority of those end up being Captain Stacys but only because he's a "Police Man". The ones where he isn't they end up being some other Police Captain or Chief... and not all Spider-People get that event. It's one of the more avoidable ones than the "Gwen Stacy types" and the set in stone of an "Uncle Ben types"."

Gwen breathes a sigh of relief. "Since Dad's not a cop anymore at all he avoids that fate?"

Walt nodded. "Yes... but that doesn't mean that you have. Be extra cautious around high ranking Police Men and Women, alright?"

Gwen nodded seriously. "I will! Wait... since Peter was my "Uncle Ben"... who is my "Gwen Stacy"... and are there others?"

Walt just looked at her. She looked back at him for awhile then blushed and then went, "Oh!... I uh, I see you're my "Gwen", now

Walt nodded. "Yup... or it could be you're mine... that's why we're practicing." He cleared his throat. "Those are the big three death ones. The other major events are being reviled by J. J.-"

"Urgh," said Gwen making a face thinking about Mayor Jameson. "That's a big check in that box!"

Walt chuckled. "Honestly he's probably the most consistent Spider event of all! After that is Osborne troubles and symbiotes... both of which you've already experienced."

Gwen nodded. "Are there more?"

Walt nodded. "Most are variations on the same villians and antagonists, most of whom you've already met. Goblins, Lizards, Doctor Octopus... Octopi? Hmmm... whatever. Kingpins, Punishers, etc., etc." Walt looks thoughtful. "Though your Bodega Bandit is a new one I've never heard of so congrats on that!"

Gwen sighed. "Hooray... lucky me..."

Walt chuckled. "Yeah kinda... your world is pretty divergent and you have managed really well! Better than quite a few of the Spider-People have! I think it's more credit to just how awesome you are and how you have handled things, to be honest."

Gwen smiles up at him. "You really think so? That makes me happy to hear it!"

Walt nodded. "I do! In a lot of ways you're actually a bit underpowered compared to your contemporaries... yet you have handled similar situations with some crazy twists a lot better than some of the others have. Why? The simplest answer is the X-factor: you did it your way as only you could... as Gwen Stacy. You're amazing."

Gwen blushed. "Hearing that from you... that means a lot. Thanks... So... you think there's a way you can save Peter?"

Walt nodded. "There might be... I have a few tricks in that department. Infact I have been doing some research for a friend who is in a pinch... the question is what do you want for Peter and what would be best for him?"

Gwen nodded. "Yeah... I keep thinking about the things that you told me... and honestly you're probably right... knowing Peter... he'd want me to be the hero he looked up to... but even more importantly he'd just want me to be happy." She hugged him and he hugged her back. "Does it ever get easier?"

Walt shook his head. "Not in the way everyone tells you. It never gets lighter... it either breaks you or get stronger at carrying it. Yours didn't break you so someday you'll be strong enough after carrying it around long enough to not really notice it weighing you down anymore..."

Gwen nodded. "Yours did too... you got so strong... it really almost broke you didn't it?"

Walt nodded and smiled. "It really did... and it took far too long a time... but now I'm strong enough. Have been for a longtime..." he squeezed her tightly. "So let's promise each other... no matter what..."

Gwen nodded. "We won't do that to each other... let's practice hard!"

Walt nodded too. "We will... together!"

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Rachel "Raven" Roth Manami "La Brava" Aiba Tsuyu "Froppy" Asui Haruhime Sanjouno Anastasia "The Baroness" Cisarovna/DeCobray Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida Gwen "Gwenom" Stacy Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee and Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters

Will Return In

Ties That Bind

Coming Soon]