Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Chapter 9: Shadows of the Past

The city of New York was still alive with its usual hustle and bustle, but for Peter, it felt like a distant memory. After everything that had happened in the last few hours, he couldn't shake the feeling that the storm was far from over. The creature they'd stopped was just one piece of a much larger puzzle, and Oscorp wasn't going to give up that easily.

As Peter swung through the night, his thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of his communicator. He had just enough time to glance at the screen before the call connected.

"Pete," came MJ's voice, her tone urgent. "Where are you? I've been trying to reach you for hours."

Peter landed on a nearby rooftop, taking a moment to steady himself. "Sorry, MJ. I got caught up in something. I'm okay, though."

"Caught up in something?" she repeated, her voice tinged with worry. "You're always caught up in something. Can't you just take a night off for once?"

Peter sighed, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on him. "I wish I could, MJ. Trust me, I do. But right now, I need to figure out what Oscorp is doing before it gets even worse."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line. "Oscorp?" MJ's voice dropped. "What's going on, Pete?"

Peter hesitated. He wanted to tell her everything—about Chimera, the Genesis Protocol, the genetic horrors that Oscorp was unleashing—but the truth would only put her in danger.

"I… I'll explain later, okay? Just know that I'm doing everything I can to stop them. I promise you."

MJ's voice softened. "I just want you to be safe, Pete."

Peter's chest tightened. "I know. I promise I will be."

Before MJ could respond, a sharp noise echoed from the alley below him. Peter's spider-sense flared.

"I've gotta go," Peter said quickly. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Be careful, Pete," MJ's voice called after him.

Peter's heart tightened. Always so worried. I hate keeping secrets from her.

But there was no time for self-doubt.

The Alleyway Encounter

Peter leapt down into the alley, landing silently on the ground. His eyes scanned the shadows, but there was nothing.

Then he saw it.

A figure standing just outside the alley, their back to him. They were cloaked in shadow, but there was something about their posture, the way they carried themselves, that was unmistakable.

"Felicia?" Peter called out, stepping forward.

The figure turned slowly, revealing a familiar, yet unexpected face.

It wasn't Felicia.

It was Gwen Stacy.

Peter froze, his mind racing. What the hell is going on?

Gwen stood there, her eyes locked on his with an expression he couldn't quite read. She looked… different. More mature, more guarded, like someone who had lived a lifetime in the span of just a few years.

"Gwen?" Peter whispered, almost as if saying her name out loud would make it all real.

"Long time no see, Parker," Gwen said, her voice low and steady.

Peter's heart pounded in his chest. The last time he had seen Gwen, she had been lost in the chaos that was the original Green Goblin's attack. Her death had been one of the darkest moments of his life, a wound that never fully healed.

How is she here?

"Gwen… I don't understand. How—"

"You don't need to understand," she cut him off, her eyes narrowing. "Not yet, anyway."

Peter took a step forward, his mind reeling. "You were… You were gone. I—I saw you die."

Gwen's expression softened, but only for a moment. She took a breath, as if gathering herself. "It wasn't your fault, Peter. But yes, I was gone. For a while."

"Then how—what are you doing here?" Peter asked, his voice rising. "What's going on, Gwen?"

Gwen sighed, looking away as if struggling to find the right words. "I don't know how much you know about Oscorp and their… experiments, but I'm part of something now. Something that was supposed to stay in the shadows. And I didn't come here to explain everything. I came here because you're in danger."

Peter's confusion only deepened. "In danger? From who?"

"From me."

Peter took a step back, his eyes widening. "What?"

Gwen took a deep breath, her gaze meeting his again. "You need to stay out of this, Peter. If you keep digging, they'll find you. They're always watching."

Peter shook his head, disbelief written all over his face. "You're telling me to walk away from this? After everything that's happened?"

"I'm telling you to survive, Peter," Gwen said, her tone sharp. "There's a lot more going on here than you realize. Oscorp isn't just after you—it's after everything you care about. And the more you get involved, the more danger you put everyone in."

Peter clenched his fists, the weight of her words hitting him hard. "I can't walk away, Gwen. Not when I know what they're doing. People are getting hurt."

Gwen's eyes flickered with something like regret. "And people will continue to get hurt if you keep this up. Oscorp has been making… mistakes. But they're learning. They're getting stronger, and you can't stop them alone."

Peter stepped forward again, his voice firm. "I don't have to do it alone."

Gwen looked at him for a long moment before sighing. "You never learn, do you?"

Peter blinked, taken aback by the bitterness in her voice. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gwen stepped closer, her eyes intense. "You always think you can fix everything, Peter. That you can do it all on your own. But you're wrong."

Peter's chest tightened. She's right. I can't do this alone.

But then Gwen's expression softened, almost imperceptibly. "Just be careful, okay? Oscorp doesn't care who gets in their way. Not even you."

Before Peter could respond, Gwen turned on her heel, disappearing into the shadows.

Peter stood there, frozen, as the alley fell silent.

The Next Move

Peter didn't know what to make of the encounter. Was this truly Gwen, or had something happened to her in the time she had been gone? Oscorp was capable of horrors beyond comprehension, and the idea that they might have resurrected her, turned her into something else entirely, was a thought too terrifying to entertain.

He needed answers. And the only place he could think of to find them was the place he had been avoiding—the heart of Oscorp itself.

Time to pay a visit to Norman Osborn.

End of Chapter 9