ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

Chapter 4

Gwen stood up tiredly from where she was, receiving a nod of approval from Jessica, otherwise known as Spider-Woman. She took a step back and stumbled onto the ground, taking deep breaths after the adrenaline rush she'd experienced.

In the rubble of the museum, footsteps approached her. As she held onto her hurt arm, her spider senses went off and she immediately spun around only for her web shooters to be completely broken.

"Hands in the air!" Her father, Captain Stacy demanded sternly, his handgun pointed at her as he approached.

"Captain, come on," Gwen said, slowly stepping back.

"Suspect is armed," he continued.

"With what?" she replied, holding her arms out in confusion. "I'm-- I'm out of webs."

Captain Stacy remained firm and continued approaching, his gun still steadily pointed in her direction. "Get down on the ground."

"Which is it?" Gwen said with a fearful look expressed on her face despite the mask. "Hands in the air or get down on the ground--?"

"You're under arrest--"

Gwen was in disbelief as her father continued speaking in a tone that came off so harshly to her. "I just saved a bunch of people--!"

"--For the murder of Peter Parker," he finished his statement.

"Captain, come on, I--"

"You have the right to remain silent--"

"--You don't understand--!"

"--Anything you say--!" he began and when she tried interrupting again, he rang out a shot in the air, leaving them in a deafening silence for a moment before he aimed his gun at her again. "You don't understand."

Gwen's breaths were heavy and her hands were shaky as she contemplated the decision she had to make. Finally... she lifted her hand and reached for the edge of her mask, slowly sliding it up to reveal her face to him.

Her father's eyes widened gradually and his grip on his gun loosened, the muzzle of it lowering down. The silence between them left their standoff filled with tension so heavy and thick it could be cut with a knife.

"Dad..." she said, her eyebrows furrowed together as if on the edge of tears, afraid of what her father might say.

But he remained quiet, unable to fully process everything. It was as though his whole world had come crashing down on him all at once. Suddenly, his beliefs and views about everything were thrown into a whirlwind of doubt, confusion, and disbelief.

"I've-- I've thought about... telling you," Gwen said, feeling shaky, anxious, and fearful all at the same time. "But you can see why I didn't want to-- You can see why I didn't want to tell you...!"

His gaze was no longer on her, almost as though her words were falling on deaf ears. Not because he refused to listen but because he could hardly believe what was happening. His daughter, the person he cherished most... She was the one behind it all, behind the mask. He couldn't find reason or logic... or anything for that matter... that could piece back together the world he'd known.

"I didn't... murder Peter," she said, squeezing her eyes shut. "I didn't-- I didn't know it was him...! I didn't have a choice--!"

"How long..." he finally spoke, voice laced with such deep-sated disappointment. "Have you been lying to me?"

Gwen looked at him, taking a moment to breathe, though still feeling anxiousness riddling her entire being. "Can you just-- Can you just not be a cop for a second, and be my dad, and listen to me?"

Her breathing was shaky but she continued. "Do you really think... I'm a murderer?" she asked on the verge of tears. "You're in this to help people... right? Right...? So am I...!"

Her father let out a heavy sigh, his gaze not meeting hers. "And the way to help right now is to listen to me...!" she continued. "Please... Dad... You're all I have left..."

A silence fell between them again. Her father looked crestfallen and as though he no longer knew what direction he was meant to go in, conflicted beyond means. There was no confidence, no assurance that what he was doing was right. Nonetheless, he recognized the job he had to do...

"You have the right to remain silent," he began, still not looking at her.

"What...?"

"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law--"

"Dad, are you really this afraid of me?!" Gwen cried in disbelief.

"You have the right to remain silent--" he began again, his voice growing quieter.

With tears in the corners of her eyes, Gwen took steps forward. "Dad, stop!!" 

In response, Captain Stacy raised the muzzle of his gun again. "Don't get any closer--!"

But before things could escalate any further, Miguel's laser-like webs shot forward and snatched the gun out of Captain Stacy's hands. Miguel's figure then appeared out of the darkness, the beaten-up body of Vulture hung over his shoulder. A little gadget came to a stop at Captain Stacy's feet and activated to enclose him in a constricting space.

"Dad!" Gwen shouted before being stopped by Jessica.

"Hey," she said, voice calm and quiet. "Just breathe. We got you. Right, Miguel?"

Miguel hung his head in contemplation before his voice suddenly rang out in the silence. "Lyla," he said. "Scan this mess."

Lyla did as told and began scanning their surroundings. "No further anomalies," she reported as Miguel began messing with his watch. "Canon remains intact."

In an instant, a portal formed beside them. Captain Stacy, forced to watch because of the constrained space he was in, looked on at the group of Spiders. Miguel hauled a tied-up Vulture carelessly through the portal.

"We can't just leave her here," Jessica tried to reason with Miguel. "She's doing this on her own."

The two stood in silence as Miguel continued looking silently in contemplation. Meanwhile, Gwen kept her gaze on her father. She then looked away, emotionally pained by everything that had gone down between them

"I don't know how to fix this..." she mumbled, eyebrows still furrowed in despair and anxiety.

Jessica heard Gwen's words, taking it to heart as she knew the feeling well. She then glanced back at Miguel, as he had the final say in what was to happen next. Miguel glanced back at Gwen, who had her head hung, mind swirling with both hopelessness and helplessness.

"Yeah, well..." He began to say in response to Gwen's mumbled words from earlier, tossing her a watch. "Join the club."

Gwen gazed down at it, contemplating the decision that was now placed in her hands as Miguel and Jessica stepped through the portal. After a moment, she looked back at her father, her expression showing newfound direction.

She'd made her decision.