Not So Bad..?

The Web of New York.

New York City's skyline gleamed under the morning sun, but Peter Parker couldn't find any beauty in it today. The usual vibrant hum of the city felt muted, overpowered by the dull ache of loss that clung to him like a shadow. His eyes traced the familiar streets from Cindy's apartment window, but the bustling world outside only seemed to remind him of the gaping void Ned's absence left behind.

Cindy's quiet voice broke through the haze. "Peter, breakfast's ready," she called from the kitchen, her tone soft, careful—like she was handling fragile glass.

Peter pushed away from the window and moved toward the kitchen table, where Cindy had set out a simple meal. It smelled like an attempt to bring normalcy back into their lives, but it wasn't enough to fill the hollow inside him. He sat down, glancing at the papers spread across the table—documents they had scoured over the past few days, leads and dead ends in their investigation of Rhino's breakout and Ned's death.

"Eat something," Cindy urged, her eyes catching his. "You haven't had more than a bite since... since it happened."

Peter managed a nod, picking at the food. He hadn't said much since he woke up in Cindy's apartment two days ago, still reeling from the news she had delivered. Ned was gone. A part of Peter felt like he should've known, should've sensed it the moment it happened. But he hadn't. And now, all he was left with was guilt.

"I keep thinking..." Peter started, his voice hoarse from disuse, while feeding Venom a piece of bacon. "If I'd just stopped Rhino faster, if I'd been better, maybe Ned—"

"Peter, no," Cindy interrupted gently but firmly, sitting down beside him. "You can't keep blaming yourself. You fought Rhino. You did everything you could. There's more going on here, and we both know it."

Her words were meant to comfort, but Peter couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of responsibility gnawing at him. He stared at the stack of files again, trying to find something—anything—that would make sense of this nightmare.

Rhino shouldn't have been able to escape. The prison's security was state-of-the-art, the kind that was supposed to be impenetrable. And yet, Rhino had gotten out, rampaged through the city, and Ned had paid the price.

Peter's hands clenched into fists. "There has to be someone else behind this. Someone who helped him from the inside."

Cindy leaned forward, her brow furrowed. "We'll figure it out, Peter. But we have to be careful. Whoever's behind this, they're dangerous. We need to follow the evidence, not let emotions lead us."

Peter swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in his throat. He didn't want to just follow evidence. He wanted to find whoever was responsible and make them pay. But he knew Cindy was right. They needed to play this smart, or more people could get hurt.

He pushed his plate aside and picked up the file they had been reviewing the night before. "We'll start by digging into the prison staff. Someone must've had the connections to make this happen. If we can find out who, we'll be one step closer to the truth."

Venom's voice echoed through the house, an unexpected but sharp reminder of something he had almost overlooked. "You don't think it has anything to do with that knife that was thrown at us...?"

Peter's eyes widened in realization. "Venom, you're a genius!" He shot up from the table, startling Cindy.

"Hold on now... what knife?" Cindy asked, worry creeping into her tone.

Peter was already halfway across the room, energized by this new lead. "Don't worry, Venom protected me from it. But while I was fighting some thugs, someone threw a knife at me. It seemed random at the time, but now..."