Showing Her The Ropes

Chapter 24: A Superhero Learns to Fly

Still half asleep, Peter rolled over and extended his arm expecting to feel Gwen beside him, only to find an empty space where she should have been. He bolted upright into a sitting position and scrambled out of bed instantly. Fleeing the room, a bolt of lightning lit up the entire hallway, startling him. A rumble of thunder shook the house, causing him to stop and have to steady himself.

"Gwen!" He called out, desperate for a reply.

His eyes darted around the hall before he headed over to the bathroom, he shoved the ajar door wide open but discovered that it was empty. Slamming his fist against the door, he huffed in frustration. He rushed down the stairs hoping to find her. It was early hours of the morning and waking up without her by his side had set off alarm bells in his head. First he checked the family room with no luck before getting to the kitchen. Upon the dining table, he spotted a piece of paper and wasted no time picking it up and casting his eyes on what was scribbled on it.

Peter,

I know you've probably woken up in a panic, and I am sorry that I had to tell you this way but please try to see it from my point of view. The sleepless nights will only worsen if I don't put an end to the mystery of the phone call and I know that you would have never let me go otherwise, so this was the only way.

I understand if you're angry and even if you resent me, I've given you every right to those feelings after where I'm headed tonight. I just want you to know that I truly am sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but I need closure. Please don't come looking for me, I could never live with myself if you got hurt, just remember that I love you with all of my heart and if by some miracle, I make it out of tonight alive then I will come back to you.

Love,
      Gwen. Xxx

Peter screwed the note up as he clenched his fists and suppressed a yell. He exhaled sharply and shed his clothes, leaving his suit exposed. He had no idea where Gwen had gone, but he was determined to find her. Even if it meant searching the entire city. He ran towards the front door and opened it so quickly that it almost struck him in the face and then slammed it behind him. Finally outside he let go of his frustration in an anger fuelled scream.

_ _ _ _

"What's the matter, Princess? Surprised to find me somewhat closer to invincibility?" Harry mocked.

"Do not give us away, Harry! Choose your words carefully!" Venom instructed.

"Doesn't matter how strong you are, I can still take you!" She declared, moving in a circle as he moved opposite her.

Amused by her statement, he chuckled. It was an unsettling sound that came from somewhere deep within him. Gwen straightened up, knowing that he was trying to get her guard down enough for him to be able to attack. He swung the pole horizontally, causing her to swerve backwards to dodge the blow. As the pole missed her once again, she grabbed hold of it and thrust it forward, shoving him backwards. During his stagger, his grip on his makeshift weapon loosened, allowing her to pull it from his hands completely. Using his unsteadiness to her advantage, she thrust the pole forward once again to disorient him further. Convinced that it would take him a moment to recover, she made an attempt to swing the pole and hit him over the head, but much to her surprise he caught it mid-swing with very little effort and used her strong grip to pull her closer. Once she was only inches away, he struck her in the face with his hand and dug the sharp end of the pole into her side.

She cried out in pain as he forced it downwards, creating a deep scratch before tossing it aside. The pole clattered to the ground with a metallic echo, piercing through both their ears. Taking her chances, Gwen lurched forward and headbutted Harry right between the eyes, but he didn't even flinch. In retaliation, he grabbed her long blonde hair and forced her around in a circle before letting go, causing her to go flying across the gravel and crash into a metal beam that supported a broken down roller-coaster. Groaning in discomfort, she hurriedly got back to her feet and moved in to attack Harry once again.