218. Ghosts in the Blood. (Patreon)

Gwen Stacy-Parker POV:

Peter has always had a bad habit of suppressing things he finds inconvenient.

For most of his life, he buried his emotions beneath logic, sarcasm and work. It was easier for him to solve a cosmic equation than to deal with the mess of feelings inside his chest.

For years he barely tried to fix it. But lately… he had been trying. He had been talking more, admitting when something hurt, letting people in other than his close knit of family.

Yet seeing him, seeing Richard Laurence Parker standing there in the cemetery did something to Peter.

Something violent and primal awakened within his mind.

The moment Richard collapsed in the snow, Peter’s hand moved faster than thought.

The Dominator unfolded in his grip.

Its mechanical voice had already begun its lethal hum as it expanded into Destroy Decomposer mode.

The weapon glowed and within a few seconds it was ready for firing.

Peter’s voice came out hollow. “It’s a clone.”

No one spoke. His eyes were locked on the unconscious man in the snow. “It has to be a clone.”

His hands didn’t shake but his eyes were fighting like hell to hold back tears because no matter how complicated their relationship was… Those were still his birth parents and in Peter's heart that still meant something.

Uncle Ben stepped forward slowly. “Pete…” He gently grabbed Peter’s arm. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

The Dominator was quietly cycling electromagnetic energy. For several seconds, Peter didn’t move then the weapon’s glow faded and it folded back into its dormant shape.

Peter exhaled slowly.

Nanobots seeped from the cuts in his palms, flowing like liquid silver over the unconscious man’s body. The boys were analyzing his genetic and physical info.

After a moment Peter spoke again and his voice had turned to steel. “No deadly bioengineered pathogens, no parasitic organisms.” More nanobots crawled across Richard’s skin. “No malicious organic or inorganic constructs.”

He stared down at him. “He’s clean.”

That was worse because it meant he was probably real and Peter vehemently didn’t want that.

“You guys can go home if you want.” Peter muttered.

My dad snorted immediately. “Keep dreaming, kid.” He crossed his arms. “Family sticks through thick and thin.”

Jean DeWolff stepped beside him.

“I may not be family yet,” she said casually, “but you guys have been nothing but kind to me.”

She gestured at Richard’s unconscious body.

“So there’s no way in hell I’m bailing when your life turns into a Mexican telenovela.”

Peter stared at her, then nodded once.

One moment there was a flash of blue then we were standing inside the boiler room of Parker Industries Headquarters which is the secret entrance to the Underground labs.

Peter dragged Richard toward the massive industrial boiler sitting in the corner.

Inside it was an elevator. Peter stepped in without a word and the rest of us followed. The elevator began descending while Jean DeWolff was staring around in amazement. “What the hell?”

The elevator descended and when the doors opened... she froze.

The first thing she saw was the Celestial Forge.

Its cosmic glow filled the chamber like a fragment of the universe itself had been trapped inside. Stars and nebulae swirled within endless light and dark. It was breathtaking no matter how many times I see it.

Jean stood there like someone had unplugged her brain. My dad chuckled softly. “This is just the elevator ride, De.”

She didn’t respond. He gently nudged her. “Now you can be stupefied.”

Peter didn’t even look back. “Don’t get enchanted by it.” His voice was cold. “Keep moving.” Then he added: “Gwen, help her.”

I gently grabbed Jean’s arm. “Come on.”

She reluctantly tore her eyes away. Peter was already dragging Richard deeper into the labs.

The walk to the bio-lab normally takes five minutes but today it felt like an hour and the tension in the air was suffocating.

Jean kept fidgeting beside me. Behind us Dad, Uncle Ben and Aunt May were talking quietly about something but I wasn’t listening.

My focus was entirely on Peter. I could tell by his posture that he was trying not to think.

Jean suddenly spoke. “Hey, Gwen?”

I turned to her. “Yeah?”

“I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Sure.”

She hesitated slightly. Then said, “Your dad and I have been seeing each other for a while.”

“I know.”

She cleared her throat. “We were thinking about… tying the knot in the near future.”

I blinked. “It would mean a lot to us if you and Peter came to the wedding.”

I sighed softly. “Cap…” She stiffened slightly at the nickname. “Have you been watching too many romance movies?”

She looked embarrassed. “Because do you honestly think I wouldn’t be there for my dad?”

I smiled gently.

“You’re the first person who’s made him smile like that since my mom died.”

Her expression softened.

“So yeah,” I said. “Peter and I will be there.”

She laughed nervously. “Don’t worry. The wedding is still far away.”

She glanced toward Peter. “But dear God… this situation is messy.”

I followed her gaze. Peter had already shoved Richard into a medical berth. Robotic arms snapped restraints into place while the medibots injected sedatives.

Peter didn’t even look at him like a person. More like… Garbage.

Hours passed.

Test after test ran across holographic screens.

DNA, cellular structures, age markers. Every result returned the same answer.He was real. Completely real and Peter refused to accept it as he ran the tests again and again.

Finally I walked up behind him. “Pete.”

He didn’t respond. “You hold the power of Neo-Genesis.”

Still nothing.

“The ability to understand, alter, reshape and destroy all life.”

I placed my hand gently on his back. “You already know the answer.”

Peter grabbed the console and metal crumpled beneath his fingers while I hugged him from behind.

His Sandevistan implant was warm beneath my chest and his tagged breathing slowly calmed down.

Finally he spoke. “Wake him up, Clanker."

Clanker, Peter’s ancient AI companion, complied instantly but apparently he was feeling spiteful. Because instead of gently waking Richard he snapped open a packet of the strongest smelling salts legally available using the robotic arms causing Richard to jolt awake violently.

His eyes darted around and then he smiled weakly. “What a beautiful lab...”

Uncle Ben who was beside him punched him so hard that Richard dropped unconscious again.

Ben rubbed his knuckles. “God…I forgot how much I hated his inability to read the damn room.”

Peter looked like he might explode. “Clanker!”

He pointed toward Richard’s body. “Throw him in the dungeon!”

Jean blinked. “Peter has a dungeon?”

I raised a hand quickly. “No. It’s more like an airtight quarantine chamber for virology research.”

Peter was pacing. “He’s just… agitated.”

Jean exhaled in relief. “Oh thank God.”

Richard Laurence Parker POV:

My cheek hurts a lot.

I slowly sat up while rubbing my cheek.

White walls surrounded me with a mirror on the far side along with basic sanitation equipment.

I knew this type of setup instantly because Mary and I used rooms like this all the time during our CIA years.

Which meant one thing. Peter was watching.

I stared directly at the mirror. “Peter…”

My voice cracked slightly. I made sure it sounded sincere. “I know you’re angry. You have every right to be.”

Still nothing. “But please…”

I leaned forward. “Help your sister.”

No response. So I kept going. “Her name is Teresa Parker. She was born in 2004. That was when Mary and I were already deep into the Araneus Oscorpeus project.”

Still nothing.

“We couldn’t keep her,” I lowered my head. “So, we placed her in foster care and loving couple adopted her. They raised her well. Just like Ben and May raised you.”

That part wasn’t entirely manipulation. It was partly true. “She joined the CIA. Nick Fury himself recruited her.”

I paused for effect. “He didn’t know she was our daughter.”

I continued slowly. “She became one of the best agents in her class. CQC specialist, firearms expert and brilliant hacker. At her graduation Mary and I finally told her the truth.”

I swallowed. “She forgave us and when she learned who her brother was she was proud of you. That her big brother was Peter Parker.”

I watched the mirror and still no reaction. So I pushed harder. “She refused to contact you because she feared your wrath. She knows your reputation.”

I leaned closer to the glass.

“She was investigating rumors of an old Soviet program called The Red Room. It's an organization that trained female child assassins and this mission took her to Italy. Then she disappeared. Mary went after her and she sent me to find you.”

My hands pressed against the table.

“Peter… Please. Help your baby sister.”

Peter Parker POV:

I watched him through the glass.

I analyzed every twitch, every word and every calculated emotional beat because CIA training never really leaves you.

He was trying to manipulate me by appealing to guilt and my humanity.

It was textbook example of manipulation and yet… Somewhere deep inside me it worked.

I turned away from the glass. “Clanker.”

“Yes, Peter.”

“Call Natasha Alianovna Romanoff.”

I glanced back at Richard and he looked nervous now and that's good because I wasn’t helping him.

I was helping the girl and if saving her ruined his carefully crafted emotional narrative that was just a bonus.

Uncle Ben leaned toward the microphone. “Relax, Richie.”

He spoke calmly. “Pete’s already making the call.”

Richard sagged in relief and I felt something ugly and satisfying bloom in my chest.

Because for once, he was the one waiting for me to decide his fate.