The Many Loves of Spider-Man

The Guard of War (Bethany Cabe, aka War Machine)

"Happy birthday, Peter" Bethany Cabe, once a heroine who held the mantle of War Machine, congratulated the man in front of her. Her dark pink lips made a sincere smile across her face as she looked at the man who had given her a job. She went from the military, to be a hero, to be the bodyguard of one Peter Parker. It was a long story, but she did not regret becoming the guard of the man.

"Thanks, Beth…" Her expression changed into a slightly pained one, knowing exactly why he was acting in such a way. He had contacted her when he suddenly needed help to deal with something. She just agreed because she owed him one, but everything that happened was monumental. Six months have passed since and she still could not believe what. "Is great to see you again"

"Same here… I just had to deal with something regardings the War Machines…" She trailed off a bit, explaining slightly what she had been doing before arriving at New York once again. The War Machine group was far from a team created for heroes with the War Machine title. It was a military branch, one that was used long ago to revive James Rhodes, the original War Machine. "But now I will be able to stay here as your bodyguard, as you told me six months ago"

"Yeah…" Bethany sighed, knowing exactly why he reacted in such a way. During those six months, lies were uncovered and truths revealed. She did not know what the full extent was, but it has hurted him a lot. But it was thanks to those revelations that she managed to get to know the man behind the mask to a greater extent.

"Why don't you say hi to the others? They came a long way to reunite here just for you…" Peter's bodyguard softly muttered, watching as the man just nodded slowly and began to walk away to greet the others around him. Her expression suddenly shifted as soon as she noticed two females from his past, Felicia Hardy and Barbara Morse. Her eyes were like a hawk, stalking the two females and watching their every movement. The two of them have also hurted Peter a lot, especially Barbara Morse.

But since she did not want any kind of attention to herself, she just decided that watching the two would suffice. As she headed toward the beverage area, a loud explosion happened. She immediately got ready, her eyes searching intently for the man she is supposed to protect. And it did not take long to find him, as Peter was struggling mid-air against Otto Octavious. She double clicked her wrist, her armor, a gold and silver colored armor, appearing out of nowhere. She knew that it was time, and she would not fail him again.

"So, we have an octopus problem…" Her voice sounded robotic thanks to the helmet of her armor, her two hands pointing at the villain in question. She did not wait, her propulsion rays blasted the villain right out of the hole on the wall. She took Peter, not allowing him to hit the ground hard. "Are you ok, Peter?"

"Y-Yeah… Thanks, Beth…" Her identity was not really a secret, so she did not care if he revealed her name. But she did not wait any longer, prefering to deal with the villain who decided that it was a good idea to attack Peter on his birthday. And she was definitely going to use her newly augmented weapons against the villain.

Time Skip

"You have to be more careful with your villains, Peter" Bethany was slightly reprimanding the man, a light scolding from her part. But even she knew that he could do so much. And Peter did lots of things to make his villains not know who he really is behind the mask. "You will never know when they will decide to attack you just for fun"

"I know…" Bethany then noticed a pattern. It was so obvious that she did not know why she didn't notice earlier. But it was there, Peter didn't try to hide it. The longing, the stare, the soft sighs. He still was suffering deep inside from what happened six months ago.

"Peter…" Bethany closed the gap between the two, holding the man in a soft hold. Her voice hummed softly, trying to calm down the pain in his heart. The betrayal that he had faced those months ago still burned brightly in his mind, and she knew that he was still searching for answers from her. Mary Jane Watson, a woman that she would probably kill without any question if she ever saw her again. "It is not your fault…"

"It still hurts, Beth…" Hearing the hero so broken made her flinch a bit. She had been there when it happened, the revelations of the actress already having two kids behind Peter's back while she was on the road doing her movie. "She won't even answer my questions… Just avoid me like I am some kind of plague…"

"Then it is her loss, Peter…" She whispered, her hug lasting as long as he may need it. She was caressing his arm, trying to let him know that he was not a plague. He was an amazing man, an outstanding hero and a wonderful human being. If Watson decided that it would be better to cheat and lie, then it was her problem. "You are amazing, never forget it"

"Thank you for being there for me for those six months, Beth…" His whisper fell off at the end, probably falling asleep in her arms. She just smiled, her eyes closing for just a moment. She was enjoying the hug between the two. A wonderful experience that she knew would last forever in her mind.

"No… Thank you for choosing me as your bodyguard…" She softly kissed his forehead, looking up to the roof. She could feel her emotions surging back from the depths of her heart. She had hidden them for those six months because of his previous relationship, but now she would fully express herself. With no one standing in her way, she will show Peter that he is truly appreciated.