46. Escape Velocity. (Patreon)

The silence of the clearing was broken only by shallow breaths. Gwen’s chest heaved, her eyes burning with tears trying to spill. She whispered, trembling.

“…Peter…”

The boy in black armor not her Peter but a Peter nonetheless. His voice cut through her grief.

“I know you have a lot to ask. But not now. Also, Peter B… don’t panic.”

Peter B. blinked, confused. “Don’t wha—”

The armor around Peter hissed, splitting into segments before latching onto Peter B.’s body. In an instant, his sweatpants and trench coat were swallowed by sleek plating. He yelped as the thrusters flared and he shot skyward, dragging a screaming Miles Morales behind him by a tether of web.

“Whoa whoa WHOA—” Miles flailed. “I did not sign up for this dUber!”

On the ground, Gwendolyn’s spider-armor flared to life. Her hands wrapped around alternate Gwen and hoisted her into the trees using her mechanical appanages. They vaulted through treetops at breakneck speed, weaving between branches.

Through the comms crackled Peter B.’s voice. “Uh, hey. Question. How’s Peter supposed to keep up without his suit?”

Gwendolyn chuckled. “You’ll see.”

Minutes later they reached the bus stop at the edge of the valley. The bus hissed as it approached. And standing by the bench, leaning casually like he had been waiting for hours, was Peter. No armor, no helmet, just a plain black hoodie.

Peter B. nearly tripped over himself as the armor peeled away from his body and folded neatly into the school bag now hanging from Peter’s arm. His jaw went slack. “Okay. Nope. No way. That’s cheating.”

Miles stumbled, still dizzy from the first time flying. He pointed at Peter. “Dude. How. Just… how?”

Peter ignored the stares and crouched by the CPU tower Peter B. had nearly broken his back hauling. He placed a hand on it. The nanobots in his veins shimmered faintly, humming as they swarmed. Within seconds the entire CPU unraveled into a storm of shifting particles. Data strings poured into a glowing pane on Peter’s gauntlet before the tower collapsed into harmless dust.

Miles’s jaw dropped. “That was… illegal. That had to be illegal. Right?”

Peter B. groaned, rubbing his temple. “Kid, we just saw him dismantle a desktop with his blood. Nothing is illegal anymore.”

Peter stood, eyes hard. “What matters is we have the collider data.”

A few feet away, Gwendolyn and Gwen looked at each other. Their masks peeled back, revealing two nearly identical faces — one broken, one burning with steady strength.

For a moment neither spoke.

Finally, Gwen’s voice cracked. “I failed him. I failed my Peter. He was my best friend and I let him die. All I do is fail.”

Her words trembled in the afternoon air. Gwendolyn’s eyes softened. She stepped forward, her armored hand touching Gwen’s shoulder with surprising gentleness.

“I thought the same thing. I thought I was cursed to ruin everyone close to me. But then… Peter saved me. He saved my dad. He saved me from myself and he didn’t do it because he had to. He did it because that’s what he does. Unexpected things.”

Alternate Gwen shook her head. “You sound so sure. I can’t even look at him without remembering the night I lost him.”

Gwendolyn’s smile was thin but warm. “You don’t have to forget. You just have to live enough for both of you. That’s what I learned. He carried me when I thought I couldn’t move. And when he stumbles, I’ll carry him. That’s how it works.”

Tears threatened to spill from Gwen's eyes. She fought them back but her voice betrayed her. “…It hurts so much.”

“I know. I still haven't forgiven myself for dropping that wall on him.” Whispered Gwendolyn. Her arms wrapped around her counterpart, pulling her into a fierce hug. “But you don’t have to hurt alone anymore.”

For the first time since Alchemax, the world seemed still. No scientists, no blaring alarms, no collider roaring to life. Just two Gwens in the quiet, holding onto the fragile truth that they were not as broken as they thought.

And across the street, Peter B. Parker muttered to Miles with a crooked grin. “So… we’re officially the least impressive Spider-People in the room, huh?”

Miles didn’t even argue. He just whispered, wide-eyed. “Yeah.”