The dinner actually went pretty well. Denise could tell that Caty and Danny's spirits were lifted. She didn't know the reason behind it, but she was glad to see them feeling better.

Caty couldn't sleep after dinner so she decided to patrol for a bit to occupy her body and mind. Fortunately for her, but unfortunately for the people that lived there Anaheim was filled with crime. She found herself preventing armed robbery and carjackings on almost every block. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but towards the end of her shift it really did start to feel like that. But eventually things died down and she was starting to make a name for herself in the streets of Anaheim. That wasn't good. She was planning to play low since she was on vacation. She didn't want people to start investigating who she was based on travel patterns. But as long as nothing major happened it should be okay.

They arrived the next day at Disneyland ready to have a great time. Despite being in a better mood the twins still decided to their separate ways leaving their mom to explore the park or surrounding areas on her own.

It took about three rides for Caty to finally see Karolina. This time she wasn't alone. She was with a few other girls. One was what she imagined a goth girl on TV to look like in person. Another wore glasses and was a bit chubby. The last was a young girl in elementary or middle school. She couldn't really tell.

"Hey, Karolina!" She said running up to the group with a smile.

Karolina turned around to see who had called her and noticed it was her new friend. "Caty! I'm glad I ended up seeing you today. This is Nico, Gert, and the little one's Molly. Chase and Alex are off somewhere together. Decided to split the guys and girls."

"I'm not that little." Molly said in protest.

Caty laughed and turned to the others. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I met Karolina last night at the pool."

"Oooh." Molly said teasingly.

"Cut it out." Karolina said embarrassed. "So... How do you like the park so far?"

"It's fun." Caty admitted. "It's been helping, but still hurting too."

"It's to be expected, but you have us now."

---

Dr. Curt Connors brought his family to Disneyland as a way to celebrate the success of his limb growth experiment and giving his son a fun family vacation. Things were honestly pretty great. He started to feel a little strange at night, but there were no real noticeable reactions to the serum. As far as he knew he was perfectly healthy and fine. All that mattered to him in the moment was having a wonderful time with his family.

As Danny entered Disneyland the next day, he couldn’t help but feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension. It was their family’s first trip to Disneyland without their father, and it felt strange to be there without him. However, he was determined to make the most of it and try to enjoy the day.

He wandered around the park for a bit. Taking in the sights and sounds, and indulging in overpriced snacks. On his journey, he spotted Chase and another boy with curly brown hair and glasses that Danny didn’t recognize.

Danny’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of Chase. Despite only meeting him yesterday, there was something about Chase that drew him in. His charm and handsomeness were undeniable. Danny blushed at the sight of him and his muscular physique in a tank top.

Danny took a deeo breath, and approached him. “Hey, Chase.” Danny said, he was nervous, but trying very hard to be casual. “Funny running into you here.”

Chase turned towards Danny, his face breaking into a grin as he recognized him. “Danny, hey! What a coincidence, right?” He gestured to the boy standing beside him. “This is my friend Alex. Alex, this is Danny.”

Danny nodded in acknowledgment, offering Alex a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Alex.” He said, extending his hand for a handshake.

Alex returned the gesture with a nod and a smile. “Likewise, Danny. So, are you enjoying your time at Disneyland?”

Danny nodded. “Yeah, it’s been fun so far. A nice break from reality, you know?”

Chase nodded in agreement, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “Totally. It’s always great to escape to the magic of Disneyland, especially when life gets a little rough. So listen, we were just about to go on Space Mountain, you wanna come with us?”

Danny felt a pang of anxiety. Roller coasters weren’t exactly his favorite thing, especially ones as intense as Space Mountain. But he couldn’t deny he wanted to spend more time with Chase, and he wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass him by.

“Uh, sure, sounds like fun.” Danny replied, trying to hide his nervousness with a forced smile.

Chase grinned enthusiastically. “Awesome! It’s gonna be a blast, you’ll see!” he exclaimed.

Caty had a wonderful time with the girls. She really needed this. For the first time since having all of this responsibility she felt like a kid again, which is ironic because she was here celebrating her birthday. Nico and her got along well. She was a lot deeper than her dark exterior. She could tell that she cared too much and just didn't know how to express it. Gert was pretty cool. She reminded her of Danny. Not as self-confident as she should be, but bright with a heart of gold. Molly was just too adorable for words.

They took Molly to some kid rides before choosing things they were more interested in. At one point Molly got tired and Caty offered to carry her on her back. She fell asleep there and stayed that way while they got ready to watch the fireworks show. Karolina stood next to her and as everyone whispered in anticipation of tonight's show she reached for Caty's hand. Caty pulled her hand away and looked at Karolina with a hint of sadness in her eyes. She really liked, Karolina, but as a friend. She loved Liz and there was nothing she'd do to jeopardize that.

"I can't." She finally whispered. "I have a girlfriend. I'm sorry if I misled you."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed." Karolina turned away from Caty, a tear forming in her left eye. Caty was the first girl she felt that comfortable with. Of course she had a girlfriend. And what, they were going to have a long distance relationship? What was she even thinking?

Caty looked up at the Disney Castle and noticed something or rather someone crawling on it. "Hey, Molls?" She said finally deciding to wake the sleeping child.

Molly stirred awake and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes to see that it was night and they were surrounded by a lot of people. "Huh?"

Caty dropped down to let Molly off. "I just remembered that I need to get my bag from my locker and check on my brother, Danny."

Karolina turned to face Caty and Molly. "Do you have to leave? The show's about to start."

Caty nodded. "I do and I promise it's not because... I'll be back. Just trust me." Caty ran to the back of the crowd to go to the lockers she placed her bag in. While running she called Danny. They may have been at odds right now, but this was something she may need help with. Plus, it was their birthday. "Pick up, please."

Gert turned towards Karolina after noticing Caty was gone and Molly was awake. "Where'd Caty go?" She asked.

Before Karolina could answer, Nico caught their attention. "Umm... What's that?" She asked, pointing up at the castle.

---

Dr. Connors had hit from his family, but he had been feeling different ever since the success of his experiment. He just chalked it up to his body getting used to having an arm again and adjusting to the chemicals that were now inside him. He felt less bothered during the day and was able to really enjoy his time at Disneyland with his family. He didn't have a care in the world. He even wore a Mickey Mouse hat the entire time he was in the park.

When night fell the strange feelings returned, but they were a lot more intense. His family made their way to the front of the show since it their son, Billy's first time seeing it. Curt couldn't be happier with life so why did he feel so uncomfortable and sometimes in pain? He felt an intense cramp and excused himself to go to the bathroom, except he never made it there. He transformed into a humanoid Lizard and ran through the park before climbing up the castle.

The boys spent the day enjoying the magic of Disneyland. Danny enjoyed every moment spent with Alex and Chase. Danny liked Alex, and he found out from talking to him that he Alex was just as smart as Danny is. They had intellectual conversations at random points. Chase didn’t seem like the intellectual type, yet here he was friends with Alex. That gave Danny hope.

They rode a bunch of rides together, and Danny was enjoying his time with his new friend, and potential boyfriend. For a while, he forgot all about the grief and the guilt, and just enjoyed being normal.

when the sun began to set, the three decided to find a spot for the perfect view of the fireworks show. Danny took his chance, and reached out to hold Chase’s hand. Surprisingly to Danny, he didn’t pull away, and he didn’t let go. They stood there without saying anything. It was the best birthday ever. Even if his dad wasn’t there to enjoy it with them…

The moment was ruined when he saw something green climbing up the castle. That was definitely something he was going to have to deal with. “Uh… could you excuse me for a second, I’ll be right back.” Then he took off before Chase or Alex could even ask for an explanation.

Moments later, Spider-Man came swinging towards the castle, and the green lizard creature climbing it. “Hey buddy, I think you got the wrong park. This is Disneyland. You’re looking for Universal Studios. Although… you’re a little too small to be Godzilla… Anyway, the point is, you shouldn’t be here, and I’mma have to ask you to leave. K?”

Spider-Woman swung in and landed on the opposite side of Spider-Man and the Lizard leaving the latter to be the monkey in their game. “What he said. I thought Florida was the one with the big lizard problem.”

The Lizard snarled at them both keeping their attention on his face and not the tail that was inching towards Spider-Woman.

Spider-Woman felt an intense ringing in her head. There it was again. That Spider-Sense of hers, but she was confused. It usually warned her of danger, but she was looking right at the danger. Just then something wrapped around her leg pulling her from her train of thought and her position on the castle.

The Lizard charged towards Spider-Man, dragging Spider-Woman along with its clawed arms outstretched to tackle and rip the Spider-Man limb from limb.

Spider-Man’s own Spider-Sense tingled, and he was able to leap out of the way just in time. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he fired a string of pink webbing trying to tie up the lizard’s arm’s. “Sorry, Disneyland doesn’t serve giant lizards. You’ll have to leave the claws at the door.”

The Lizard dug its feet into the castle to stop its momentum after getting its hands webbed. Spider-Woman took this moment to break free from its tail. She kicked it causing the Lizard to roar out in pain and anger. This caught the attention of the crowd below just before the fireworks lit up the castle. Most were mesmerized by the light show, but some perceptive ones in the crowd noticed the show behind the show.

Spider-Woman jumped to her feet and shot a web at the Lizard's head trying to pull it back. Except what she thought was some sort of dragon crown was actually a hat. She pulled it towards her and saw that it was a Mickey Mouse hat. This Lizard… He was at the park. It was then that she looked up to see that the Lizard was wearing clothes. The shirt was ripped to the shreds and thankfully the pants were sorta okay, but this was a man. Someone's father.

“Spider-Man, he’s—”

Before she could finish what she was saying she was interrupted by another roar. He was angry. Was it the hat? Spider-Woman looked up to see the Lizard pulling his arms apart and breaking free from Spider-Man’s webs.

The Lizard snarled and turned towards Spider-Woman glaring at the hat in her hands. “Oh, was this yours? You can have it back. It wouldn't go with my costume. Truthfully, I wouldn't want to get sued.”

The Lizard charged towards her and Spider-Woman didn't need her spider sense to tell her that she was in danger. She dropped the hat and jumped into the air to land beside her brother. “He's someone's dad and I think he still remembers that. We have to figure out a way to turn him back. One of us is going to need to get his wallet while the other distracts him.”

Spider-Man gave a salute. “Got it, I’ll distract him, you get the wallet.”

With a swift leap, Spider-Man landed in front of the Lizard, taunting him with a quip. “Hey Lizard, ever heard of a spa day? I hear they work wonders for the scales!” He dodged another swipe from the creature’s claws, leading it away from Spider-Woman.

Of course. She had to be the one to get up close and personal with him. Though, it was her plan. Spider-Woman resolved herself to go through with it. She wasn't going to take someone's dad away from them. Especially if they weren't in control of what was going on.

Spider-Woman thwipped a web to the top of the castle and used it to swing herself close to the Lizard while Spider-Man was distracting him. She got close and reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. Just as she grabbed hold of it she felt her Spider-Sense triggering. She turned her head to see his tail swinging towards her. She couldn't dodge in time and was smacked across the castle.

The fireworks still continued to light up the castle and their battle.

"Hey, Lizard! How about picking on someone your own size?" Spider-Man quipped, shooting more webbing to entangle the Lizard's tail, preventing it from striking again.

“Thanks…” Spider-Woman said as she got back to her feet. She gripped her side with her left hand and looked at her right to see his wallet. “And thank you, sticky fingers.” She then opened the wallet to look for an ID and to her surprise she found something even better. A picture of a man, his wife, and their young son. “Dr. Curt Connors. From New York!?” What were the odds of that?

The Lizard turned around to look at Spider-Woman as she yelled out. He swiped at Spider-Man with one arm and swiped at his tail with the other ripping it off. He ran towards Spider-Woman and was about to eat her until she showed him the picture. She saw the names on the back of the picture. “Dr. Curt Connors. This is you, isn't it? You, Martha, and Billy? Your family. I know you're still in there somewhere. Probably confused and scared as hell. Trust me, I get it. But your family's down there waiting for you. Come back to them.” She pointed her hand down towards the crowd. She couldn't see them, but she was sure he got the message and knew where they were. She just hoped it was enough to work and turn him back.

The lizard let out a roar, and then slowly reverted back to his human form. He was dizzy and confused. “What happened? And what happened to my clothes?!” He exclaimed.

Spider-Man thought for a second. That name sounded familiar. “Dr. Connors… I’ve heard that name before… Do you work for Oscorp?”

Dr. Connors held his head trying to maintain his balance and awareness. “Yes… I was working on, perfected, a serum that would regrow lost limbs using—” He looked over to see something underneath a pile of webs. It was…

“Lizard DNA.” Spider-Woman finished. “It worked. Just turned you into a werelizard. But for now it seems like you can regain control. But I'd suggest going home and running experiments after you go be with your family. You're missing the show and we can find you clothes anywhere.”

Dr. Connors nodded, still trying to process what had happened. “Thank you… I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t stopped me.”

Spider-Man nodded. “Just doing our friendly neighborhood duty.”

As the chaos subsided, the crowd below erupted into cheers and applause, meanwhile the fireworks continued to light up the sky, casting a colorful glow over the scene.

“Just in a completely different neighborhood.” Spider-Woman added. She helped Dr. Connors down away from all of the crowd and chaos. Grabbed a shirt and some pants and left her birthday money before anyone could see her swing in and web away. She gave the clothes to Dr. Connors and left him to go change and return to his family while she left to change herself.

After the fight was over, Danny made his way back to where he left Chase and Alex. Despite the chaos, he was glad they managed to resolve the situation without Disneyland getting destroyed or anyone getting hurt.

"Hey guys!" Danny greeted them with a smile. "Sorry about that. Just had to take care of something real quick."

Chase grinned. "No worries, dude. But bro, you missed a lot! There were Fireworks, and Spider people fighting a big green lizard! It was awesome!"

Alex, however, eyed Danny with suspicion. "Yeah, it was definitely a spectacle all right." He remarked cryptically. “It’s unfortunate they came out after you left, and they leave just as you come back…”

Danny's heart skipped a beat, wondering if Alex had caught on to his secret identity as Spider-Man. He tried to play it cool, and shrugged. "Yeah, talk about bad timing. I heard about it from people talking. It must have been really cool."

Chase chuckled, oblivious to the tension between Alex and Danny. "Totally! Anyway, how about we grab some churros and call it a night? My treat!"

Danny breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the change of subject. "Sounds good to me!" he replied, eager to put the events of the evening behind him.

Caty returned to the group of girls pretending as if nothing had ever happened. She gently grabbed Karolina's shoulders from behind and said, "I told you, I'd be back. What I miss?"

"What'd you miss!?" Gert exclaimed. "As soon as you left Nico spotted a giant Lizard on the castle. Then two Spider-Heroes fought him!"

"Wow. That sounds pretty awesome. I saw the fireworks when I was with my brother, but I missed all of that." Caty said. "I'm glad no one got hurt."

"Yeah, it was crazy." Nico said unamused with Caty's attempts at hiding the truth.

"Yeah. I'm glad you're okay, Caty." Karolina added before averting her eyes. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed and the fact that she---no. She shouldn't even be thinking about that right now.

"I couldn't see a thing." Molly gruffed. "No one wanted to shoulder me."

"I offered." Gert corrected.

"You're barely taller than me!" Molly announced disappointed in missing what had happened. "One day I'll be a superhero and beat up all kinds of giant things!"

Karolina and Caty laughed together. "I'm sure you will, Molly." Karolina said, affirming her young friend.

"But remember to protect as well." Caty added before noticing Nico eyeing her. Did she know she was Spider-Woman? Did they all? Karolina seemed like she did as well. If they did, she was okay with it. She trusted them and they didn't try to call her out on it. Most importantly she was able to help a man regain his humanity and return to his family. She'd risk her secret a thousand times over if it meant protecting people. Caty hoped that New York was okay while they were gone.

The girls continued to enjoy the rest of the night together and she gave all of them her number, even Molly, even though she didn't have a cell phone yet. But she assured her she'd call on her house phone to ask her about life and New York.

---

The Davis Family returned to New York to find it not at all how they left it. There was a lot of damage to the city and thankfully their house and school was undamaged. But for the most part everything was okay. Some lives were lost, but a group known as The Avengers came together to protect the city and the world from a Norse god and his army of Frost Giants. He apparently even controlled a giant green creature filled with Rage that eventually turned against him and joined the side of the heroes. What was with the Big Green theme this week?

Caty was disappointed that she missed out on the world's first big superhero team-up. They had Tony Stark, freaking Captain America from World War Two, and a flying superwoman. And to make it even worse? They had two partnered creepy crawly themed heroes named Ant-Man and Wasp! And an actual spider-themed hero named Black Widow! She couldn't believe it. This was the Spider-Twins' time to shine. No, they didn't do this for fame or glory. What they did in Anaheim was much bigger. Who cares if it got drowned out in the news of the Avengers? She actually preferred it that way. This way the Connors family could know peace while they figured things out. Maybe she'd check on him one day as Spider-Woman, but as a friend.

A lot of drama happened while the family was away. New York got invaded by a Norse God and his army of Frost Giants. A team of superheroes formed calling themselves the Avengers formed to stop had, and they had their own norse god. From what he had heard, it sounded really cool, and really scary too…

A part of Danny wished he had been around just to witness it… But that’s what the news was for. Right now, he had bigger things to deal with. He had been excited the entire trip home. “Caty, Caty. Guess what? I got a boy’s phone number! I mean… I guess I have Harry’s phone number… But I got a boy who I’m actually romantically interested in phone number!” He was jumping up and down, giddy with excitement. “His name is Chase. He’s really handsome, and friendly. I’ve always wanted my own gay fairy tale romance, and now I’m finally getting my chance!”

Caty was surprised, but also happy to see Danny so happy and willing to talk to her. She was glad that he was able to have a great time without her and it was funny. Even when they didn't try they always seemed connected. "That's wonderful, Danny!" She said with a gleaming smile. "Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm friends with your boyfriend's friends." She decided to hide the connection between she and Karolina. "They told me their friends Chase and Alex were hanging out together."

It honestly sucked that their new friends lived all the way across the country, but that was the price you paid for making vacation friends. But she hoped a long distance relationship could blossom between Danny and Chase. She had never seen him that happy before.

Danny nodded. “I met Alex too. He’s great, and just as smart as us. It’s great that Chase can appreciate intelligence, because to he honest, he does not seem like the intellectual type at all.” And then he lowered his voice, in case their mom was nearby. “Alex might be a little too smart. I think he suspects… you know…”

And then he returned to his normal tone. “But, we’re not exactly boyfriends yet. We’re still in the I like you and want to date you phase. I hope we can become official though! We actually held hands for a full minute before the fireworks started!”

Caty's eyes widened at the suggestion that someone else in the group knew they were masked superheroes. Though if they ever needed someone to start their fan club it would be better to have them nowhere in proximity to them so they wouldn't be in danger. "I'm pretty sure at least two of them figured it out on my end." She finally responded.

When Danny mentioned him and Chase, Caty froze. Their vacations were almost as identical as they would've been had they been identical twins. But it reminded her of how guilty she felt for giving Karolina that impression and feeling like she was betraying her girlfriend even though she shut it down. "I gotta call Liz." Caty left the room dialing her on the way out.

---

Months had passed and Caty and Danny were almost halfway through their Junior Year. They've been learning a lot both in and out of school. Caty rejoined her dojo to get more training in. She didn't want to lose her anger and hurt or kill someone like she did when her journey as a hero began. So she was here to relearn the basics and refocus on the spiritual aspect of martial arts. It took her a while before feeling comfortable enough to spar again and when she did it was only with her best friend, Xander. She made sure to hold back as much as she could until she gained full control of the force she exerted. This and practical practice in the streets helped her spread the Spider-Woman name.

She hadn't had anything major happen ever since Disneyland and she was honestly glad for that. That wasn't even intentional on the Doctor's part. She also checked on the good doctor from time to time as Spider-Woman helping him with his experiment to make sure that he had complete control over the Lizard transformation. He even offered her an internship and she thought about accepting it, but declined for the time being. The doctor was great and all, but she wasn't ready to trust Him with that part of her life yet.

But today was Halloween and Caty couldn't be anymore excited. She and Liz were going to a party together. She was going as Spider-Woman and Liz was going as Captain Marvel. Caty didn't blame her for choosing one of the heroes that had made a mark in her city on her birthday. Mostly because she looked amazing in the costume and honestly the idea of dating another superhero sounded perfect to her. She wished Liz could've gotten bit that day.

As they put the finishing touches on their costumes Liz looked to her with a concerned expression. "Are you sure it's a good idea to dress up as Spider-Woman tonight?"

"Yeah. She's gotten more popular lately. I've even seen people showing their versions of the costume for Halloween and Comic Con." Caty said confidently, but with a slight hint of narcissism. People were dressing up as her. It was crazy. "Your photos at the Bugle actually really helped. I'm surprised Jameson stopped asking you for pictures of the Avengers."

"Yeah..." Liz started, still unsure. "But how many look like the real deal? And it wasn't easy. The man wants what he wants, but the people started wanting more of you. Claim that you started this whole superhero phenomena when you took down Black Fox. Rumor has it that Loki was actually looking for you and Danny, well Spider-Woman and Spider-Man."

"I'll admit." Caty said with a sigh. "Not many. I honestly didn't think it'd be hard to copy. But this is like the only night I can fully be me. Plus if anything happens tonight I'll already be in costume without having to change out of another costume. I appreciate you for all the work you put in and your concern, but trust me... Now, come here, Captain Marvel, and kiss me."

Liz had to admit. She did have a point with that. "With pleasure, Spider-Woman." The two embraced with a passionate kiss. One that almost made them stay in for the night.

Meanwhile, a lot has happened in the months that passed. Danny joined a dojo period, in order to learn to fight properly. He often relied on his webs and powers to fight and had been told that wasn’t a good idea.

And while Caty didn’t accept the internship from Dr. Connors, Danny got one from Norman Osborn himself! Danny jumped at the chance. He felt a little bad that it seemed like he had only gotten this position because of his friendship with Harry, but this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and Danny wasn’t about to waste it. Besides, now he could have access to Oscorp tech without having to steal it.

And Danny was bouncing up the walls with excitement. He was invited to a Halloween party. He never got invited to parties before, and Danny wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

Wearing a costume of Sylveon, one of his favorite Pokémon, Danny came bounding down the stairs, just to see his sister and Liz kissing. For a minute Danny was a little jealous. He and Chase talked on the phone and over the internet a lot since the Disney trip, but Danny couldn’t be physically affectionate that way. He wished he could bring Chase to the Halloween party, but he was across the country.

“Ahem!” Danny cleared his throat. “Hate to interupt, but your little bro is third wheeling on your date! It was either this, or third wheeling with Gwen and Harry. And honestly, they could probably use some time together without me.

Danny gave Caty’s costume a side eye. “Really, Caty? Your going as yourself for Halloween? Surely you could be a little more creative than that…”

—-

They arrived at the party, and the first thing they saw was Skyler in a cheap Spider-Man costume. It was amazing that thing even fit him. Danny was not amused in the least. It’s true, Spider-Man had gotten popular in the ensuing months, but Danny didn’t like it. “For years I’ve been bullied for liking pink. Danny ranted. “It’s a girls color they said. Suddenly Spider-Man shows up, and now everyone is wearing pink. And do I even get an apology? No. Where is the respect? Where?!”

Caty and Liz pulled their lips apart and giggled as Danny came in and interrupted their kiss. But Caty did feel bad about Danny having to third wheel with them. The closest people to him were all coupled up and just when he had someone that was boyfriend material he was all the way across the country. It was his first time being invited to a party outside of birthday ones when they were kids and he couldn't even bring the boy he really liked with him. That had to suck. She hoped they'd get to meet again someday, but with them fighting crime all the time they didn't really have the schedule that allowed for planned trips unless their mom made it like last time.

She frowned at the second person commenting on her costume of choice tonight. "I could, but how many people can go as themselves and just blend in? Plus, it's not like I can hide my costume under another one. Not a good one at least."

"Could just wear the spandex and go stealth." Liz added with a mischievous smile.

"Not a bad idea, but I'm going to ignore the reason behind it." She then turned back to Danny. "You're lucky Skyler has no idea about Pokémon lore or else he'd be calling you fairy all night."

---

Caty laughed upon entering and seeing what Skyler was wearing. Not only did it look ridiculous on him, but the thought of his favorite superhero being the guy he bullied and was later embarrassed by in front of the whole school was amusing to her. Skyler was such an interesting character. She started to wonder if there was more to him. There was no way he didn't at least think Spider-Man was gay.

She placed her hands on Danny's shoulders and said, "You're a trendsetter, Danny. You have people opening up their pink closets. Forget Skyler and just have fun tonight. For once we're off the clock." She lifted her hands and pushed him into the party so he could mingle. She and Liz followed after him, dancing.

---

Meanwhile a disgruntled Oscorp chemist who only ever wanted to design fashion was making his mark on the world. He was fired from Oscorp after numerous lackluster performances. Norman knew that his heart wasn't in his work. Sloppy work when it came to chemistry and biology and science overall could potentially lead to disastrous consequences. Norman had given him a week's notice to gather all of his things and leave the premises for good. He had hoped by giving him extra time he'd have a cool head and a plan by the time he left, but the opposite happened. Feeling like he was forced to dedicate to something he didn't even love, Roderick Kingsley decided to destroy everything Norman held dear, by breaking his son and his other pet spider project. He unfortunately didn't have any plans on leaving Norman himself alive.

The day that he was told he was fired Roderick took one of the samples of the Goblin Serum and replaced it with a liquid that looked similar enough to it. He decided to stay at work in order not to raise suspicion, but the entire week he was forced to go in and take his things he lost a bit of himself and his sanity. The serum was working in more ways than one. It made him stronger, faster, more tactical, but it had the unfortunate side effect of breaking down his psyche. He had surmised that Harry Osborn was Spider-Man and his girlfriend was Spider-Woman. He knew that they were here the day the spider got loose and he saw Norman observing the masked heroes on a monitor one day. If he knew anything about Norman, he barely and rarely ever cared about anything or anyone other than himself. It was all, but confirmed once he hired his son's best friend as an intern. No doubt to figure out more about Harry's dealings as Spider-Man.

But tonight, on Halloween, he was ready. He had finished gathering his things a few days prior and spent the remainder of his time finishing up his Hobgoblin costume and creating goblin and Halloween themed gadgets to make this a night the Osborns and New York would never forget.

The Hobgoblin hovered on his Demonic Glider in front of Norman Osborn's office. He laughed out loud maniacally before throwing a pumpkin bomb that shattered the glass window on impact. Norman took cover behind his desk and looked up to see the masked Goblin flying in. There was only one person who'd be dumb enough to attack him here, like this, in a goblin costume. "Roderick Kingsley. Couldn't take your firing like a man? You didn't want to be here either."

"Says the one cowering behind a desk, Osborn! Besides, you never gave me a choice! Both times. You forced me to work with you and now you forced me out. You destroy lives. Now I'm going to destroy yours. I'm going to kill you and break your son. When I'm through there'll be no more Spiders in New York!" The Hobgoblin launched a pumpkin bomb at Norman and flew away. He didn't need to verify his death. There was no way he was surviving that.

The Hobgoblin made his way to his next destination. He needed to find Spider-Woman and there was one place, one person, that had to know where she was. He was heading to the Daily Bugle.

Danny initially felt self conscious about being at the party, especially after seeing Skyler’s Halloween costume. But, he decided to shake off those thoughts, and just make the most of the night.

Even though Chase was the only boy he wanted to dance with right now, he still tried to have fun. During an awkward dance move, he bumped into a boy. Danny was about to apologize profusely, but upon seeing the boy, he was too stunned to speak. The boy was gorgeous, with vibrant red hair and green eyes.

The boy simply giggled at Danny’s stunned expression. “Face it, Tiger. You just hit the jackpot.”

Gathering his wits, Danny managed to offer a sheepish smile. “Uh, sorry about that. I, uh, didn’t mean to bump into you.” He mentally scolded himself for not being smoother with his words, but the boy’s presence seemed to leave him tongue-tied.

The boy chuckled. “No worries. My name is Matthew James Watson. But my friends call me MJ. Now the question is, are you a friend?”

"Uh, yeah, definitely a friend!" Danny replied, feeling a bit flustered "I'm Danny Davis. Nice to meet you, MJ."

MJ grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, Danny Davis, looks like we're friends now. Wanna dance?"

Danny's cheeks flushed with color. "Um… yeah… sure…" He felt bad about dancing with another boy when Chase was across the country but he couldn't deny his attraction to MJ. Despite the guilt nagging at him, Danny decided to let himself enjoy the moment and share a dance with MJ. There was nothing wrong with dancing as friends right?

—-

Meanwhile, Gwen and Harry were dancing together, when Harry ran off to take a call from his father.

The Hobgoblin crashed through the window of the Daily Bugle's editor's office. Fortunately most of the employees had gone home for the night. J Jonah Jameson hadn't. He fell to his desk from the force and picked himself back up after he saw a shadow hovering over him. Then he saw the weirdest looking thing standing on a glider in his office. There was barely enough space for that.

"I'm looking for the one that takes pictures of Spider-Woman." The Hobgoblin snarled.

Jameson fixed his tie and said, "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Liz Allan," he replied. "It says it right there in your papers."

"Oh, that kid. I don't deal with interns. Can't tell you anything about her if I wanted to and frankly I'd never want to. Get out of my office." Jameson said confidently and unafraid.

The Hobgoblin rushed forward and grabbed him by the neck and gave him a gentle squeeze. He didn't want to kill him after all. "You're lucky I need you alive to tell the story of my glory. The Rise of the Hobgoblin and the Fall of Spider-Woman and Spider-Man!!"

In that moment blue and red lights flashed outside and a helicopter beamed a light through the broken window.

Down below Captain Stacy got on the MegaPhone. "Costumed freak! It may be Halloween, but destruction of property, attempted murder, and false imprisonment are still very much against the law. Come out with your hands up and your... He's on a what? Okay. And your glider down!"

"Attempted murder?" The Hobgoblin asked, confused. "I must rectify that." He dropped Jameson and headed out the window and down below to the police officers. "You provided me a wonderful opportunity Dear Captain! I get to kill you and the last thing you'll know is that it's your daughter's fault because she's Spider-Woman!"

Captain Stacy and the other police opened their eyes and mouths wide with shock. Captain Stacy's daughter was Spider-Woman? That wasn't possible. This distraction was enough for Hobgoblin to pull three pumpkin bombs and launching them at the police officers. He watched them erupt in orange-green flames. He laughed maniacally while it happened and turned to face the Helicopter. He pulled another pumpkin bomb out, but before he could throw it the Helicopter took off.

"WHERE ARE YOU MY ITSY BITSY SPIDERS!?"

Harry had to leave the party to be with his father who got attacked by a crazy person in a costume. Shortly after leaving it was Gwen’s turn to receive a phone call with some unpleasant news. It was one the Police Offers informing her that her father was killed. “No… that’s… not possible…” Gwen didn’t believe it at first, but she ran off the dance floor in tears.

Danny saw Gwen running off, and excused himself from dancing with MJ to talk to her. “Gwen, what’s wrong? And where’s Harry?”

Gwen turned to face him, her eyes red and swollen with tears. She took a shaky breath before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s my dad, Danny. He… he’s gone. He was killed by some freak throwing bombs.”

Danny’s heart sank, and without hesitation, gave Gwen a comforting hug. “I’m so sorry, Gwen,”

He ran off for a second to look for Caty, but couldn’t find her or Liz anywhere. They were already gone.

Once Caty and Liz noticed that Danny was actually having a great time with a cute redhead they decided they didn't have to stay for the rest of the party. They saw their friends, danced, and enjoyed each other's company. Neither of them were truly the partying type anymore. Caty felt like she had so much responsibility and was getting antsy.

She decided she wanted to walk Liz home before going on patrol. Things seemed eerily quiet on their way home. They were completely oblivious to all of the chaos currently going down in the city and to the fact that they had targets on their back. They wouldn't be oblivious for long.

Caty felt the intense sensation of her Spider-Sense again. She looked around, but couldn't see anything. She let go of Liz's hand and pushed her to the side while pulling her mask down. She heard an almost silent whirring behind her and turned to see a costumed Goblin riding some kind of death glider. He grabbed Liz and started to fly off.

Spider-Woman shot a web at his glider trying to keep him in place, but he turned around and sliced the webs with blades coming from his glider. "Uh, uh, uh. Not so fast, Spider-Woman! If you want Ms. Allan alive meet me at the Manhattan Bridge for a Halloween Showdown! And don't even think about asking your boyfriend Harry the Spider for help." He then flew off towards the bridge leaving her both confused and distraught.

"Boyfriend? Harry the Spider? He thinks I'm Gwen and Harry's Spider-Man?" She didn't stay long to think about it and swung after the two. This guy seemed to be after her, but didn't even know who she was and he knew who Liz was. She didn't know who he was or what he wanted, but there was no way she was going to lose Liz. Not after she lost her dad.

---

Spider-Woman arrived at the Manhattan Bridge and noticed Liz atop one of the suspension towers. She tried to rescue her, but was immediately knocked out of the sky by the Hobgoblin. "Not so fast, Spider-Woman. Beat me and she lives. Lose and you both die."

Spider-Woman didn't have time for this clown's games. She webbed him down from off his glider and started relentlessly assaulting him. She was glad that she got back into the dojo. Her movements were more fluid and precise and she landed more hits than he avoided. The opposite was true for her, but when he did land a hit she realized just how strong he was. He was as strong as her. So she didn't have to hold back at all.

Round two between them became more intense. Frustrated from his inability to make decisive blows he jumped back on his glider and launched two pumpkin bombs at her. She shot a web at them both and launched them back towards him. He avoided the first, but the second pushed him and his glider back. He was mostly unscathed and it caused him to laugh. "You have to do better than this or poor Elizabeth will end up like your father."

Even the eyes of her costume widened at the masked freak's words. He wasn't talking about her father. He was talking about Gwen's... Captain Stacy was dead and it was all her fault. This guy wanted to hurt her. "Who are you? What did I ever do to you?"

"Nothing personal between us. Blame your boyfriend's father. He destroyed my life so now I'm doing the same to his son. Though to be fair on a completely different scale. But as for who I am? You may call me Hobgoblin!"

"A stupid name for an even stupider man! I'm not Gwen Stacy and I'm not dating Harry! I'm dating---actually, nevermind. You don't need to know that. But you do need to know that I'm going to kick your ass." Spider-Woman said more pissed off and determined than before. She wasn't going to let this man get away with murder or take anymore innocent lives.

The two charged at each other. Hobgoblin extended the blades once again trying to impale her, but Spider-Woman jumped onto his glider and the two started boxing with nowhere to run. The chaos of the glider fight cause them to fly up towards the top of the suspension tower where Liz was. Hobgoblin feeling furious over the fact that he couldn't beat Spider-Woman despite how hard he attacked her decided it was time to play dirty.

Hobgoblin brought the two of them over to Liz and grabbed Spider-Woman's neck so she couldn't stop his plan. With his other hand he reached down and grabbed Liz by the neck. "You may claim not to be Miss Stacy, but it doesn't matter anymore. You pissed me off so now I'm going to make sure you feel even more guilty tonight."

"Please! Don't! She has nothing to do with this!" She tried to break free from his grip, but the more she struggled the tighter his grip got.

Liz looked at Caty beyond the mask with tears in her eyes. "It's okay... I love you. Don't let him win. Don't let any of them win."

Spider-Woman struggled desperately to break free. She had to save Liz. She couldn't lose her. She watched as Hobgoblin released his grip around Liz's neck causing her to fall to the ground. Right after he dropped Spider-Woman as well and hovered above to watch the show.

Spider-Woman had to act quick. She shot a web at the top of the suspension tower and once it was attached she looked down at Liz and shot a web towards her leg. She stopped her right before she could hit the ground, but Spider-Woman heard a sudden snap. She connected the two webs and climbed down towards Liz. She ripped her down from the web and checked to see if she was okay. She wasn't. She wouldn't wake up.

"Liz... Liz, wake up. Don't do this to me! I need you. I can't do this without you. I already lost my dad. I can't lose you, too." But she did. Liz was dead. She knew it and Hobgoblin knew it and it was all her fault. What good was she as a hero if she couldn't save the ones closest to her?

Hobgoblin hovered down to gloat. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I BROKE THE SPIDER! I WON! I WO---"

What he won was Spider-Woman's unrighteous fury. All she could see right now was read. She tried so hard to do things the right way, but sometimes criminals were just evil and irredeemable. She didn't care that Norman destroyed his life. That was no excuse to kill innocent people. But him? He wasn't innocent and she was a witness to that fact.

She placed Liz gently on the ground in the middle of his gloating and turned to web his glider. She yanked it with enough force to send it and him flying into the side of the bridge causing the glider to explode into pieces and a few of his bombs went off in the impact.

Unfortunately for them both he was still alive. Seriously injured, but still alive. That was fine for her. She wasn't done with him yet. She rushed towards him and started beating his face in. She wanted the pain to stop. Hers or his, it didn't matter. Before she could finish what she intended to do she heard the sound of a rocket's engine behind her. The sound stopped before the sound of heavy metal hitting the ground followed after. "I think he's had enough, kid."

Spider-Woman turned around to see Tony Stark, no Iron Man right there on the bridge with her. Under normal circumstances she would've been fangirling, but this wasn't normal circumstances. She dropped Hobgoblin on the bridge and looked back at him. He was completely unconscious. Had she actually gone through with her last punch, he would've been dead. She then turned back to Iron Man. "He... he killed my girlfriend and my best friend's dad, because he thought she was me. This is all of my fault. I have to make it right. Why should he get to live?"

"I asked myself that very question. Once for myself and once for my enemy. A man named Obadiah Stane worked for my father and I. But he wanted more. He wanted the company so he secretly had my father killed. Unfortunately for him, I'm better in every way and the rightful heir so the company went to me. He didn't like that so he tried to kill me as well. Tried to blow me up with one of my own weapons and when that didn't work he had me kidnapped by terrorists. I built my first armor in that cave because I realized what the weapons my company and I made had been doing. Destroying and taking lives. Almost took my own, but didn't. So I asked myself, 'Why do I get to live and not all of the people I killed with my weapons?'. I came to the conclusion that I survived so I could make up for every life that I took."

His words resonated a lot with Caty. That was exactly how she felt and exactly why she worked so hard following the night she killed a man.

Iron Man continued. "I freed myself with my new armor and resolve and eventually confronted Stane with the evidence. He then revealed to me that he was behind my father's death. I wanted to kill him so desperately, but my girlfriend stopped me. She reminded me why I decided to keep the armor on after I freed myself. To protect lives. Not take them, not anymore. They may not deserve to live, but they don't deserve to have the power to kill the good inside us as well."

"Thank you, Iron Man." Caty said finally. "You really don't know how much I needed to hear this."

"No problem, kid. And call me, Tony. I see me in you so I guess this time I just had the right words to say." Tony walked over to Hobgoblin and picked him up before pulling a business card out of who knows where. It had the Avengers logo on it with the name 'Tony "Iron Man" Stark written in the center with his phone number underneath. He handed the card to Spider-Woman. "Call or come by the Tower anytime. Mask or no mask. I already know who you are, Miss Davis. In the meantime I'm taking this one to SHIELD. I'm sorry for your loss. Don't drown in the darkness. Have someone you can talk to." He gave her a nod before flying off with Hobgoblin still unconscious dangling in his arm.

Caty walked back over to Liz and just cradled her in her arms. She couldn't believe she was gone.

Danny looked all over the place looking for Caty and Liz, but there was no sign of them anywhere. “Ok, this looks like a situation that calls for Spider-Man and Spider-Woman, but there’s no sign of Caty or Liz anywhere. Can I take you home? Do you have anyone to come home to?”

“Yeah, my uncle is probably rushing over to my house right now.” Gwen said between sniffles.

So, Danny walked Gwen home. After the news of Captain Stacy's death, and Caty and Liz nowhere to be found. Danny figured she must have heard something, and took off. There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

Finally Danny broke the silence. "I wish I could do more to help, Gwen," Danny said softly. "I hate feeling so helpless, especially when someone you care about is hurting."

Gwen gave him a small, sad smile. "Thank you, Danny. Just having you here means a lot to me."

They walked in silence for a while longer, lost in their own thoughts, until they reached Gwen's house. Danny stopped outside the door, turning to face her with a solemn expression.

"If you need anything, Gwen, anything at all, don't hesitate to reach out. I'll be here for you, okay?"

Gwen nodded. "Thank you, Danny. You're a good friend."

With a final nod, Danny watched as Gwen went into her house. Then, he ran off, and changed into his Spider-Man gear.

It didn’t take long to find Caty and unfortunately Liz too… She was on the Manhattan Bridge, cradling Liz’s lifeless corpse in her arms. Danny didn’t say another word, and gave his sister a hug.

Caty had accepted Danny's hug. They stayed there until they heard sirens in the distance at which point Caty told Danny that they needed to get out of there. She dialed Liz's parents and told them that Liz was on the way to the hospital. She swung Liz over to the hospital. She landed right next to the entrance and carried Liz the rest of the way. She held her bridal style, thoughts lingering in her mind how they'd never be able to see the day they got married. She really didn't know what to do.

They entered the hospital and she screamed out, "I need help!" The staff got to her and Liz immediately, but it didn't matter how long they took. She was already dead and it was all her fault. Everything leading to this moment was all her fault.

She waited with Danny for Liz's parents. She was glad he was here with her. At least he understood how she was feeling. At least partly. She decided to stay in her costume. It was Halloween and she needed it on in order to explain to Liz's parents what happened.

Danny changed back into his Sylveon costume. Then, they waited for Liz’s parents to break the bad news to them. It was an agonizing wait. “I can’t believe this. We finally managed to move on without dad, and then this happens. This is just awful.” Danny said while pacing nervously around the room. He was too anxious to sit down. “First Gwen’s dad, now this. This is the worst Halloween ever.” He knew saying this out loud would make things worse. Danny tried breathing to center himself. “It’s ok, we’ll get through this… We always do…”