Danny was right. This was the worst Halloween ever. She singlehandedly destroyed two families. Captain Stacy was dead because some lunatic thought she was Gwen and that same lunatic killed her girlfriend, was hunting her girlfriend, because she took pictures of her. She really wasn't sure there was a way to bounce back from this. She wouldn't blame Gwen if she hated her for this. She didn't even know if she could even look Liz's parents in the face.

She was about to respond to Danny when she looked up and noticed the Allans walk in. Caty immediately burst into tears and ran up to them. They embraced her as she cried in their arms. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't save her! It's all my fault." They caught the attention of others in the waiting room and Liz's mom began to soothe her.

"It's okay, it's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything."

But that wasn't true. She could have done something and what she did actually got Liz killed. But their words still comforted her despite her knowing the truth.

Danny stood back as Caty talked to Liz’s parents. Unable to find the right words to express his own remorse for the situation. Danny simply stood there. He felt helpless watching the scene, and he desperately wished there was something he could do. That there was something he could say or do for Liz’s parents, but there was really nothing he could do, that could undo the tragedy that just happened. Silently, Danny reached out to gently place a hand on Caty’s shoulder, offering a wordless gesture of solidarity.

The next month was brutal for Caty. She wasn't herself after the funerals of Captain Stacy and Elizabeth Allan. She didn't know who she was anymore. She lost two of the most important people in her life in such a short span. She already felt like there was a hole in her heart when her dad died, but when she killed Liz it felt like someone ripped that hole wider until there was nothing left. It was a miracle she was still alive. But her will and drive to protect and punish kept her alive. After the funeral she contacted Tony Stark and decided to meet him at the Avengers Tower as Spider-Woman. She didn't feel like Caty anymore. Tony recognized this in her when she pulled her mask back to drink some water he provided her. He could see that she was losing herself into her darkness. He recognized that look, because it was the same one that he saw when he looked at the bottom of a glass. He wanted to offer her support, guidance, and a mentor. The Caty inside her was screaming for her to say yes, but she couldn't hear her. She declined his offer and asked for tech to upgrade her web-shooters. He offered to work on them with her instead. She decided there was no harm in it and they worked together in silence. That moment in silence was what she needed. Tony knew that and didn't force more out of her.

Unfortunately that moment wasn't enough to make her feel better or start to reform her torn heart. She desperately wished she did, but nothing could help. So she went searching for the next best thing. Someone to punch. Spider-Woman began making a name for herself in the underground. The worst of the worst, the people that profited off of the misfortunes of others were on her hit list and she was on theirs. She wished she could beat up Norman Osborn, but unfortunately she couldn't. As far as she knew Hobgoblin was a raving lunatic and there was no evidence of wrongdoings on Norman's part. But she couldn't deny the fact that a lot of strange things were happening at Oscorp. First the bio-engineered spiders, Doc Connors and his lizard serum, and Hobgoblin and whatever gave him his powers. What was next, supercharged electric eels? Regardless, she couldn't act and ruin Harry's life when they're not hiding what they're doing. She just hoped Danny was okay there. Maybe he was doing some investigating of his own. She honestly didn't know what he's been up to. She hasn't really talked to him or been home much since Halloween. She didn't like being home. It just reminded her of everything she lost. Everything that Caty lost and Caty didn't exist anymore. She was only at school to take tests and they sent her work home with Danny. She did it all, but it meant nothing to her. She just didn't want her mom bothered with it all. She officially quit the Cheerleading team. She only joined it because of Liz. She couldn't talk to Gwen either. She felt so guilty about everything. She tried to apologize to Gwen at the funeral, but messed up when she told her that Hobgoblin thought she was her. She blamed Caty for her dad's death. If only she knew that she felt the same way. But she let her yell at her, slap her, hit her chest, and vent out in anyway that she felt was necessary. Caty deserved it. She was right. She gave her, her space.

Spider-Woman really had no one. She was alone. She couldn't even go to Liz's parents house, not inside. She left them flowers at their door every morning, but she couldn't see them. She couldn't talk to them. She couldn't lie to their faces so it was easier to love them from a distance. Karolina reached out to her after she heard what happened on the news. In fact, the whole group chat messaged her with condolences and said they'd be there for her if she ever needed anything. She told them she appreciated them all and abruptly went ghost. She knew Nico would understand and Gert could handle it and Molly was spamming her with memes whenever she got ahold of Gert's phone and signed each one. If Spider-Woman were to be honest those memes were the only thing keeping her sane. It reminded her there was still light and good in the world. She felt bad for ghosting Karolina though. She really appreciated her support, but she felt guilty. Karolina was nice and attractive and she did not want to think of anyone like that, not so soon after Liz's death. Caty didn't even exist anymore so her dating life didn't either. It died with Liz.

The month moved in a blur. Spider-Woman barely slept and only ate to keep up with her increased calorie intake. She didn't eat for the joy of food anymore. She operated solely for the mission at this point and that included this Thanksgiving at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This was a huge event and she learned lately that whackos loved attacking New York on holidays. First a Norse god brings a bunch of blue giants on her and Danny's birthday. That may not have been a widely recognized holiday, but if Liz was correct they were the targets. Then Hobgoblin on Halloween. There's no way no one was going to try and ruin this holiday for her as well. She felt targeted and she was not going to bring that home. She decided to watch the parade afloat one of the floats. If anyone was going to attack this was the perfect time. This year the floats included members of the Avengers and she was atop Captain Marvel whose float was positioned as if she were flying across the city. Of course there was nothing for her and Spider-Man yet. Though she felt like she didn't deserve one at all. She was no hero. Just someone with powers playing vigilante.

Her Spidey-Sense temporarily pulled her out of the hole her depression was digging. "I hate being right. Who is it now?" She looked around and couldn't hear or see anything. The ringing was getting even more intense like the danger was getting clo---. Something rushed past her peripheral and the next thing she heard was a large POP, then the hissing of air. She felt herself sinking into Captain Marvel's back. That wasn't good. She could hear the sound of screams below. She dove off Captain Marvel to speed past her and ran underneath the falling float. She then released an abundance of webs in rapid succession to create a giant web that kept the float from falling even more. She then shot strings of web at the buildings to her left and right before attaching them to the giant web holding Captain Marvel up. The crowd cheered and thanked her and she was honestly getting overwhelmed.

The good mood was interrupted by the person who caused the danger in the first place. "You think you won, Spider-Woman? You feel like the hero? This city will know the menace that you are." Said a man in a green suit and feathered mechanical wings announcing his presence.

Spider-Woman was absently dumbfounded. She knew she saw something out of the corner of her eye, but she didn't think it was a flying turkey. "Oh, you read the Daily Bugle? I didn't know turkeys could read. But seriously, dude. A turkey costume debut on Thanksgiving?"

The green turkey was furious. "I'm not a turkey. I am the VULTURE! Inventor of the Underworld and Spider-Woman's assassin!"

Spider-Woman was more annoyed than anything at this point. But she needed to get this clown away from people. "A reading and inventing turkey. Man, what are they feeding you on that farm? Wait, are turkeys raised on farms? I don't know, I'm a city girl through and through."

"You!!!" The Vulture said, his pale face turning red with fury. He extended his wings and pushed back propelling himself forward towards Spider-Woman.

Criminals were all the same. Gullible idiots. Spider-Woman let the Vulture grab her and carry her away into the sky. She waved to to the people below. "Don't worry, I'm okay! I'm just leading him to the oven. This turkey's a little too fresh." When they were some distance away the Vulture through her into a building. She braced for her landing and gracefully landed on the glass. Her old ballet teacher would be so proud. She pushed off the glass pulling some of it with her fingers before bringing her arm around to punch the Vulture in the face. He feinted a punch in return, but shot her with one of his feathers. It grazed her and she fell from the sky. She held her side with one hand and shot a web at a building with the other. She sighed with relief, but that relief was gone instantly when she felt her Spidey-Sense again. She looked up to see the Vulture slicing her web through a flyby. She cursed and started falling again. "Not this time." She let go of her web and released another one at the Vulture's stomach. It attached and he began pulling her through the city as if he were a bull at a rodeo trying to get her off.

When the Vulture looked down and saw Spider-Woman still holding strong she removed the hand from her side and shot another web, this time at his forehead. As soon as it attached she pulled it forward with enough force to bring him crashing to the ground. They were close to the ground when he was finally able to cut both webs with his wings. Spider-Woman landed on the ground and watched as the Vulture was about to take flight again to recuperate. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked shooting two webs at his wing harness and yanking it off. She tossed it away from him and caught him as he fell.

"Don't think you've won, Spider-Woman! My genius can't be---." He was cut off by a web to the mouth from Spider-Woman. She dropped him on the ground and webbed him up.

"I think I just created a new Thanksgiving Dish. Turkey Stuffed Web. But don't worry, maybe the President will pardon you since it's still early." Spider-Woman said with a smile under her mask. Punching goons was okay, but she stopped another costumed weirdo today. One that wasn't able to hurt anyone, because she was there to protect them. Something was beginning to form inside the empty hole in her chest again.

Danny was dealing with his own set of challenges as well. Feeling a profound sense of guilt over Captain Stacy and Liz’s death. He felt like he should have been able to do more. He already had his father’s death on his hands, now this.

Caty was suffering most of all, and Danny didn’t know what to do. He tried to be there and be supportive as best he could, but he felt helpless as he watched his sister become more withdrawn.

Danny coped by throwing himself into everything. His studies, training at the dojo, his internship at Oscorp. Having plenty of distractions helped, but Danny still couldn’t shake the feeling of unease and uncertainty.

He tried to be there for Gwen. He gave her a shoulder to lean on, and someone to cry to. But in her grief, Gwen blamed Spider-Woman for her father’s death. Gwen was not hearing it when Danny tried to explain that wasn’t fair. “Of course you’d take her side, she’s your sister.” This led to an argument, and falling out between them. Danny was upset to lose a friend, but figured Gwen just needed time to grieve, and he gave her space.

Admist all the chaos and sorrow, Danny found himself questioning his long distance relationship with Chase. He wished he could have him by his side during these difficult times, but he was across the country. He cherished the times he was able to talk to him, whether it was through phone calls, texts, or video chats. Yet as the days passed, he couldn’t help but wonder if their relationship would survive the distance between them.

While Caty was doing Spider-Woman duties on Thanksgiving, Danny spent time with his mother. This was their first Thanksgiving without their father, and it wasn’t fair to leave their mother alone on Thanksgiving when she needed her children most.

Black Friday was a different story. While Danny was out shopping for Christmas gifts amidst the bustling streets of New York, his spider sense went off. “What is it now?” Suddenly, a hulking figure in rhinoceros armor barreled through the city with wreckless abandon. He smashed through storefronts, and sent innocent bystanders screaming in terror.

Danny managed to leap out of the way, and dodge terrified civilians to change into his Spider-Man costume. It was times like this he wished he could change into costume magical girl style. It would make things a lot easier.

From the rooftops above, Spider-Man watched the chaos unfold. With a sense of urgency, he leaped into action, swinging from building to building with ease until he landed in the Rhino’s path.

“Hey, big guy! Looks like you’re causing quite the commotion. The sales aren’t that good! Spider-Man quipped, trying to keep the situation light despite the danger. “First Spider-Woman deals with a Vulture, now you. Someone really needs to make sure the cages in the zoo are locked.

The Rhino snorted. “Outta my way, Bug! I got scores to settle.”

Spider-Man scoffed. “Spiders aren’t bugs. We’re arachnids. Get it right!” Undeterred, Spider-Man sprang into action, darting around the Rhino with lightning speed as he fired webbing to entangle his legs. But the Rhino’s brute strength proved too much, and with a roar, he tore through the webbing and charged forward once more.

The two clashed in a flurry of blows, the sounds of their battle echoing through the streets as onlookers watched in awe and fear. Spider-Man ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding the Rhino’s punches while searching for a way to gain the upper hand.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. With a quick burst of speed, Spider-Man leaped onto a nearby billboard. “Come on, big guy! Can’t catch me up here?”

Enraged, the Rhino charged towards Spider-Man. “You think you can stop be Spider-Man? I’m unstoppable!” His giant suit of armor shaking the ground with each step. But just as he reached the billboard, Spider-Man sprang into action, using his agility to dodge the Rhino’s attack, and unleashed a flurry of webbing, aiming to entangle the Rhino, and immobilize him before he could cause any more destruction.

The Rhino roared in frustration as he struggled against the sticky strands, he thrashed about trying to break free, but Spider-Man kept going. With a final, decisive webbing, Spider-Man succeeded in immobilizing the Rhino. He was trapped in a giant cocoon of pink webs.

Another crisis was averted, and onlookers clapped and cheered. As Spider-Man stopped to catch his breath, he was approached by a familiar redhead. “Yo, Spidey! How about a selfie for the Gram?” It was MJ from the Halloween party. He did not wait for a response, and snapped a photo with Spider-Man.

Spider-Man was not prepared to run into someone he actually knew. “Sorry kid, I’m not one for Social Media… Uh… Stay in school!” He stammered as he swang away. MJ was still filming the scene on his phone with a smirk on his face.

Despite the victory over the Rhino, he knew that more challenges awaited him in the days to come. he couldn’t help but feel the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. Was he truly making a difference? But as long as he wore the mask, he would never stop being the hero that New York City needed.

Things hadn't been the same for Gwen Stacy since Halloween night. Her world shattered. All she had was her dad and in one night she lost him and her best friend. The domino of which led to her losing her other best friends. All she had left was her uncle who she wasn't really close to and Harry. Harry at least understood what she was going through. His dad was almost killed the same night by the same lunatic. She couldn't understand why all of this was happening. She took a week off from school and spent it locked in her room crying.

Miles Warren never expected to be anyone's guardian. Especially not of a teenager going through the death of her father. She was never really close to his niece, but he did care for her. She was what was left of his sister and he hated seeing her like this. It hurt him to see her like this, because it was like he was watching his own sister. He decided something. He couldn't bring his own sister back, but he could bring back those that his niece lost. He had done some research into cloning in the past, but never got the approval for such experimentations and when he tried before to bring his sister back it was shut down. He then had to transfer to ESU. He put the plan in motion before the funeral. There wasn't much of his brother-in-law left. If they hadn't already called in an ambulance and fire truck he would've been ashes by the time the fire went out. But there was enough of him to get some damaged tissue. No one noticed anything, because of the damages and it was a closed casket funeral. He also wanted to know more about this Spider-Woman and Hobgoblin. Why they were so strong. He found samples of their DNA as well as Liz's at the Manhattan Bridge. It was a bloody fight. He also hacked into cameras on the bridge to get footage of the incident before erasing it from the main database. He didn't want them going after Spider-Woman for murder. He had other plans for her.

Through an interview with J Jonah Jameson he found out that Hobgoblin believed Gwen was Spider-Woman. He shut down that rumor immediately proving that she was at home during the fateful fight and had only left the house for the funeral since that night. But added that whoever this Spider-Woman was, was nothing more than a masked criminal who killed one of New York's greatest captains and destroyed his niece's life in one night. J Jonah Jameson agreed and that night became known as The Bloody Halloween. Most didn't agree with the sentiments and analysis of that night, but there was a split with the older generations.

Miles became a recluse himself after that interview and began his experiments. He analyzed the DNA he found at the scene and was able to identify the samples. Their DNA was extraordinary. He laughed. He had never seen anything like it. But he could do better. Not only with his clones, but with himself as well. Combining the DNA of Hobgoblin and Spider-Woman with a chemical compound of his own he created an elixir that would enhance his natural body, but give him a Mr. Hyde-esque transformation that would enhance him even more turning him into the ultimate predator with a brilliant mind. He used this new power to spy on Spider-Woman and Spider-Man to learn more about them, who they were, what they could do and for Spider-Man get his DNA.

He found out exactly who they were when Danny Davis came to talk to Gwen. Miles was in another room, but with his newly enhanced abilities he was able to hear that he and his sister were the Spider-Heroes. Now it made sense why the psycho thought his niece was Spider-Woman. He was close, but way off the mark. Now he understood it more. Why this Spider-Woman had been taking things so hard. Why she had become so brutal in her adventures. She lost a lot that night too. He had an idea. There was no way that his niece would forgive her best friends even if he brought back her dad and Liz. This city didn't deserve someone so incompetent that they'd kill the person they were trying to save. He'd clone her and her brother and have their clones kill and replace them. One night when they were both out patrolling he snuck into their home and acquired Danny's DNA to complete his experiments.

It took him a week before Christmas to finally finish. The first clone he awakened was Captain George Stacy. He looked perfect and talked perfectly as well. His memories were in tact, but as soon as he stepped out of the tank he destabilized. Miles cursed it all to Hell. He knew there was a chance that his DNA was too damaged and unstable to create a proper clone, but the others were just fine. Well, all except one. A mutant one. Stronger than the others, but not stable. That one would be on ice until he could perfect it. But the others were ready.

"Santa won't be coming for you this year, Spider-Twins, and even Krampus fears the WRATH OF THE JACKAL!"

Danny was excited. Christmas was coming up, but more than that, he had made plans to watch holiday movies with Chase. Virtually of course…

Danny sets up his laptop on the couch. He grabs a cozy blanket and settles in, and waits for Chase to join the video call. Danny is excited to see Chase’s handsome face pop up on the screen. It made Danny wish he could actually see him in person…

After saying their hellos, the decide on which movie to watch. After much deliberation, they settled on, “Home Alone.” They synchronized their movie streams and hit play.

Throughout the movie, Danny and Chase shared laughs and commentary. They talked about their own childhood Christmases, and they talked about the devices Kevin used to keep the burglars out. Between both of their experiences with technology, Danny being an Oscorp intern and Chase having scientist parents, they both had a lot to say on the subject.

After the movie was over, a tension lingered in the air. Chase was the one to break the silence. “Danny, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about,” Chase began.

Danny’s heart skipped a beat, sensing the seriousness of Chase’s tone. “What is it, Chase? You can tell me anything.”

Chase hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I’ve been thinking a lot about us lately, about our relationship and the distance between us. And… I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

Danny’s stomach dropped as Chase’s words sank in. “You mean… us? Our relationship?” he asked, he tried to keep calm… and failing miserably.

Chase nodded solemnly. “Yeah. It’s just… the distance, Danny. It’s been harder than I thought, and I don’t want either of us to keep feeling this way.”

Danny a pang of anxiety. He knew something like this would happen. He had feared this conversation for months. “I understand, Chase. It’s been tough on me too. A lot has been happening, and you don’t know how badly I want to have you next to me…”

Chase sighed. “Same here. I don’t want to lose you, Danny. You mean the world to me, but I don’t know if I can keep pretending everything is okay when it’s not.”

Danny’s heart ached at Chase’s words, but he knew deep down that Chase was right. “I don’t want to lose you either, Chase. But maybe… maybe it’s time we take a step back and figure things out,” he suggested.

Chase nodded in agreement. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. We both need some time to think about what we want and what’s best for us.”

“Thank you for being honest with me, Chase. And… whatever happens, I’ll always cherish the memories we’ve shared.”

Chase offered a sad smile in return. “Me too, Danny. Me too.”

After saying their goodbyes, Danny closed the laptop. He had hoped the virtual night would bring them closer together, but instead it may have just tore them apart.

He sat there in silence, trying to process his feelings. That wouldn’t last too long. There was a knock on the door. Danny grumbled in frustration. Who could possibly be coming over now.

He opened the door, and saw a young girl standing there. She looked a lot like a 12 year old girl version of Danny. Blonde hair, blue eyes, dressed in pink. She even wore glasses. “Hiii!” She said in a cheery tone. “I’m Danielle. Er… Dani. With an I… I’m your cousin. I ran away from home. You mind if I stay here with you guys for a little bit!”

She didn’t even wait for a response, and just skipped inside. Danny stood there scratching his head. “Uh, hi Dani.” Danny replied, still trying to process the situation. “I didn’t even know I had a cousin. What’s going on? Why did you run away from home?”

Dani shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh, you know, just wanted to shake things up a bit. My parents are always so uptight, and I needed a change of scenery. Plus, I heard you were the cool cousin, so I figured I’d come crash at your place for a while.”

Danny couldn’t help but chuckle at Dani’s boldness. “Well, you definitely caught me by surprise, that’s for sure. But I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for you to stay here without your parents’ permission…”

But before Danny could finish his sentence, Dani was already making herself at home, plopping down on the couch and grabbing the remote. “Relax, Danny-boy. I won’t be any trouble, I promise. Besides, I can’t go back home now. I need a break from all the drama.”

Danny sighed, realizing that arguing with Dani would be futile. “Fine, you can stay for now. But don’t get too comfortable. I’m sure my mom and Caty are going to have something to say about this. And please, don’t touch anything.”

Dani grinned mischievously. “Don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior. How about we watch a movie? I heard ‘Elf’ is playing on TV tonight. It’s a classic! Ooh, you got any food?”

Despite his initial reluctance, Danny couldn’t help but smile at Dani’s enthusiasm. Maybe having his eccentric cousin around wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Caty was out Christmas shopping. She had been going really hard on patrolling lately and have been a pretty massive jerk to her family lately, especially her mom. They didn't fight or anything. She was just rarely there for her. She lost her husband, the love of her life. If anyone understood how she was feeling right now, it was her mom. But she felt bad, because she couldn't tell her mom about everything. That she killed both her dad's killer and her girlfriend? That she was this superpowered freak that could speak to spiders and climb walls and punch hard? She'd probably think she was some kind of monster. That's what she was starting to feel lately. She was hoping buying these gifts would alleviate her of that feeling. They always said giving was better than receiving.

Jumper nuzzled against her neck tickling her. A small giggle escaped her lips. "Stop it." She said with a slight smile. She looked up and opened her eyes, but what she saw when she opened them made her eyes open cartoonishly wider. "Liz!?" There she was standing across the street, smiling at her. No, she had to be imagining this. Caty wiped her eyes to make sure she was awake and wasn't just seeing things. When her eyes readjusted she saw that Liz wasn't where she just was. No one was. Was she that sleep deprived? She looked around and up the road a bit and saw Liz again. She was just further down the street, walking backwards as if she were calling her to come get her. This wasn't right. Liz was dead. She saw her die. She held her in her arms. She... Tears started to fall from Caty's eyes as she the feelings from that horrid night flooded back into her mind and heart.

This actually saddened Liz. She dropped her face solemnly and turned to face an alley. She looked back up and nodded in the direction of the alley and walked into it. It was clear that the two needed to talk. She reached the end of the alley and waited for Caty there.

Caty rushed across the street and ran into the alley to find Liz at the end of it. She couldn't believe it. It really was her, but how? She knew this was a world of superheroes, gods, and aliens, but dead people coming back to life? If dead people could come back to life why couldn't her dad? She needed him. All of this was so hard without him. None of this made sense. That couldn't be Liz. "You have five seconds to tell me who you are before I make you wish you chose another face to wear to torment me with."

Liz had the same saddened expression from earlier. "I'm sure you took up my five seconds, Caty. But I'm sorry. I didn't think it'd hurt like this. I am Elizabeth Allan. Well, sorta. Same me, but a new body."

Caty was confused. She clenched her fist in frustration and confusion. "How?"

"Come on, webhead. Don't tell me you let your big beautiful brain become vacant in my absence. I'm a clone."

---

Denise walked into the house with some Christmas gifts herself. She knew this year had been really hard on her kids. From losing their father, Caty's girlfriend, and their best friend's dad. It was all a lot for any normal teenager to process or shoulder. But her twins weren't normal teenagers. She discovered it back in California, but her kids were Spider-Man and Spider-Woman. She couldn't be more proud of them, but she was honestly more worried for them than anything. She knew they could physically handle whatever the world threw at them, but she was seeing firsthand the toll this life was taking on Caty. Her daughter was a ghost of a shell of her former self. Only did things because she had to. Not out of any personal feelings towards them. Like she had become a robot outside of her life as Spider-Woman. That's why she hasn't been pushing back so hard with either of them. She understood what grief did to people, especially those who felt they shouldered the weight of the world. If it got too bad she'd step in, but she had seen some improvement lately even if it was just a little.

"Danny, I'm home! I'm going to put some things away!" She knew that he had a movie night planned with his boyfriend, but figured it was over by now. Despite this she still heard the sound of the TV playing. Maybe Danny just felt like continuing the Christmas marathon. Maybe Caty was home. She put the presents away in her closet and returned downstairs and walked into the living room to see Danny watching a movie with a young girl about twelve years old and for some reason she looked exactly as he did at that age. "Um, Danny? Who's your friend?"

As they settled in to watch “Elf” together, Danny couldn’t shake the lingering unease from his conversation with Chase. However, Dani’s infectious energy proved to be a welcome distraction, and before long, they were both laughing along to the movie and indulging in snacks from the kitchen.

As they talked, it turned out Dani and Danny had a lot in common. They both had an affinity for cute things, as evidenced by her manner of dress, and the Hello Kitty backpack she had with her, and they both liked science. That being said, Danny was relieved when his mom came home. As much as he appreciated Dani’s company, something was off about this whole situation. Why did this cousin never show up until now? She also seemed a little too chipper for someone who ran away from home on a whim. If anybody was going to have the answers, it was mom.

“Hey mom, glad you’re home. Uh… did dad have any siblings he didn’t tell us about? This is Dani… my cousin apparently…”

Dani was not bothered in the least by Danny’s suspicions. “Hey Aunt D! Nice to meet you. Sorry to hear about Uncle D. Anyway, there’s a lot going on at my house. Do you mind if I stay over few days?”

Cousin? Dani? Denise paused to think to herself. She didn't know about any cousins named Danielle, but the resemblance was too uncanny. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she decided it was safest to play along with it. If this little girl was an enemy she didn't want her to feel like she was cornered. But if she were to be honest she didn't feel like a threat and even if she was she knew Danny would be able to handle anything she were. She placed a finger to her chin before lifting it up into the air. "Oh, yes! Now, I remember. Your uncle and your dad weren't very close, but he did tell me about his brother having a daughter named Danielle. His family loved their naming schemes. When Catherine came out and surprised us your father wanted to name her Danielle, but I thought it'd be too confusing for you two when everyone started calling you Danny."

She walked closer to the two and turned to see what they were watching. It was "Elf". She smiled warmly as she turned to Dani. "Of course, Dani. You're family and it's Christmas. I'm sure Caty would love to meet you when she gets home."

---

Caty unclenched her fist. A clone? Seriously, what the fuck? "This can't be happening to me."

Liz looked at her with a confused expression. "Wow. That's... not really the reaction I thought you'd have."

"Someone created you to torture me. What? We're supposed to fight? I'm supposed to kill you again and prove to whoever did this that I'm the monster they believe I am?" It took everything in Caty not to just collapse to the floor in that alley and just give up on everything, life included.

Liz approached her slowly and wrapped Caty's hand in hers. "Stop it. I'm not here to fight you. This is a gift for both of us. I'm sorry you went through what you did. I don't blame you for what happened. You tried to save me. You don't have to lose yourself over me anymore. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere ever again."

Dani beamed at Denise’s acceptance. “Thanks, Aunt D! You’re the best!” she exclaimed, giving Denise a quick hug before returning her attention to the movie.

During a commercial break in the movie, Dani leaned over to Danny, her expression suddenly serious. “Hey, Danny.” she whispered.

Danny turned to look at her, noticing the shift in her demeanor. “Yeah, what’s up?” he replied.

Dani glanced around to make sure no one else was listening before continuing. “I need to tell you something important.” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “This was supposed to be a secret, but you and your mom are really nice. The truth is, I’m not actually your cousin. I’m a clone…”

Danny’s eyes widened in shock at Dani’s confession. He struggled to process the revelation, his mind racing with questions and concerns. “A clone?” he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. “But… how? Why?”

Dani nodded solemnly, her expression tinged with sadness. “I was created by someone who wanted to use me to hurt you and your family.” she explained, her voice barely audible over the sound of the movie playing in the background. “But… I couldn’t go through with it. I couldn’t hurt innocent people, especially not you and your mom. But there’s more… There are other clones out there who want to kill you and your sister, and replace you both.”

Danny’s heart pounded in his chest as he absorbed Dani’s words. “Other clones? Who want to kill us?” he repeated, his voice trembling with disbelief.

Dani nodded gravely. “Yes, I overheard them talking about their plans before I escaped. They’re dangerous, Danny. We need to be careful.”

Danny’s mind raced as he tried to comprehend the magnitude of the situation. “But how do we stop them? And why would anyone want to create clones of me and Caty?” he asked fearfully.

Dani bit her lip nervously, her eyes darting around as if she expected danger to lurk around every corner. “I don’t have all the answers, Danny. But we need to stay vigilant and stick together. I’ll do everything I can to protect you and your family.”

Danny nodded. He tried to be brave, but on the inside he was terrified. “We’ll figure this out together, Dani. We won’t let anyone hurt us or our loved ones.”

Denise was in the kitchen secretly listening in on the conversation. Clones? That want to kill her kids? She was glad that this young clone of Danny was on their side. Including Caty that was at least three on their side. She just hoped Caty was okay out there all alone. With how withdrawn she's been lately she was concerned. Maybe it was time for Denise to come out of retirement.

---

"There's no way you can guarantee that. Clone or not, you're not immortal. You don't even have powers. There's no way I can always protect you. I've never been able to protect you. I..." Caty felt herself beginning to break down. No matter what Liz was saying about how she doesn't blame her, that doesn't matter. Caty's not ready to forgive herself. She should've known better. She was smarter than that. More calculated than that. How could she have killed Liz!?

Liz removed her hands from Caty's and placed her right hand on her cheek, wiping away her tear. The other hand she pointed behind her and in the darkness of the alley it started to faintly glow green. "My sweet, hero... You don't have to protect me anymore. I can do that myself." A blast of energy released from her left hand killing a spider that had been observing them.

Caty turned around to see the dark stained ground where the spider used to be. She then noticed a faint glow in Liz's left hand. "What did you just do?"

Liz sighed. They were out of time. "I was telling the truth when I said I wasn't here to fight you. I just didn't tell you the full truth. I thought we had a little more time. But there are others. Not other me's, other you's. I just killed one of their trackers."

Caty stepped back trying to process all of this. A clone of her girlfriend was one thing, but clones of her? Why would someone clone her? Where did they even get the DNA? The thought sent a shiver down her spine causing her to wriggle in place. She shook that thought out of her head. One of them was tracking either her or Liz. Just why couldn't she have some holiday without some freak messing with her? She just couldn't take it anymore! Caty let out a SCREAM louder than the one she let out when she first got bit.

Some pedestrians passing by heard the scream, but once they looked inside the alley they'd see nothing. Caty and Liz were gone.

Meanwhile they were on the roof continuing their conversation. "Seriously?" Liz asked.

"There are psycho clones, no offense---"

"None taken."

"Of me trying to kill me."

"Well, only one wants to kill you. The other just wants to prove she's better."

"You're going to tell me everything." Caty said with a face that said she had absolutely no time for bullshit.

"I can't tell you everything, but what I can tell you is that they're not supposed to attack you before Christmas. Sort of like a Krampus gift to you. We've only been released to get a feel of the battleground. Except we each kind of do our own thing. There's a clone of Danny at your house now."

Caty's eyes widened. She was about to leap off the building when Liz grabbed her wrist. "What're you doing? I have to save them!" She couldn't believe how strong her grip was.

Liz shook her head. "They're fine. She's not going to hurt them."

Caty raised her eyebrow. "She?"

"Yeah. A cute little button named Dani. An error in the cloning process. She's younger and a girl. But she's not who you need to worry about and they'll be able to handle whatever comes their way. You need to worry about your clones." Liz let go of Caty's wrist and let her fully come back to the conversation. "One's not so bad. Actually... she's kind of this hot goth version of you. Totally uninhibited. She's meant to replace you as Caty and Spider-Woman."

Caty was perplexed. For one, her girlfriend or girlfriend's clone was obviously crushing on her clone. This was all so much to take in that she didn't even know how to feel about that. "And the other one?"

"She's a mute version of you. Precise and lethal. Essentially you if you trained to be a spider ninja assassin."

"Oh great. I'm going to die on Christmas." Caty said fully coming to term with her fate.

Dani and Danny spent the rest of the night talking about their situation… The next day, Danny took Dani to the mall. Because despite the situation, they couldn’t live their lives in fear.

As Danny and Dani wandered through the mall, Dani’s eyes sparkled with wonder at the festive decorations and holiday cheer. Despite the threat of clones, Danny couldn’t help but smile at her infectious enthusiasm. He wanted to give his younger female self some sense of normalcy.

As they passed by a display of twinkling lights and colorful ornaments, Dani’s eyes sparkled with wonder. “Wow, Danny! Look at all the pretty lights!” she exclaimed, tugging on his sleeve excitedly.

Danny smiled fondly at her enthusiasm. “Yeah, it’s pretty amazing, huh?” he replied, his gaze drifting to the sparkling Christmas tree towering overhead. “They really go all out when it comes to Christmas.”

Dani’s infectious excitement was contagious, and Danny found himself laughing and smiling as they explored the various shops and attractions. He even took Dani to get her picture taken with Santa. For a brief moment, things felt normal. Everything was right with the world

While at the mall, they bumped into a familiar redhead taking selfies. “You again. We have got to stop meeting like this Tiger.”

“Who is this guy? Is this your boyfriend?” Dani teased.

Danny’s face turned bright red, as MJ giggled. But before Danny could say something in retaliation, something caught his eye. Or rather someone. He caught sight of… himself in the crowd. It was another Danny clone.

“Dani, we gotta go now!” He whispered with a sense of urgency.

But before they could leave, the clone smiled sinisterly, and then with lightning speed, the clone lunged foward and knocked Danny to the ground.

“You thought you could hide from us, but we always find our targets.” the clone taunted, its voice dripping with menace. He picked up the real Danny by the neck, trying to choke him.

As the clone’s grip tightened around Danny’s neck, his younger counterpart sprang into action. “Get away from him!” Dani shouted, as she delivered a swift kick to the side, that sent the clone stumbling backwards.

Danny barely had time to catch his breath. He took Dani’s hand, and ran to find somewhere quiet to change.

Meanwhile, MJ was filming the whole thing. “This is gonna get me so many views!”

Caty and Liz spent the night together. Liz snuck in the house through her bedroom window. They weren't sure how they were going to explain to their parents that Liz was alive or if they even would. At least not until they figured things out with the other clones. If at least one of them was trying to kill her then it was safe to assume that Liz would now be a target now that she betrayed them. Caty wasn't sure how she felt about all of this. She wasn't really concerned about the fights she had coming up. She was used to fighting. She's been a fighter her whole life and she was not going to lose to some cheap imitation of herself. But that was the thing. When she looked at this version of Liz, it was strange. She didn't feel or sound like a clone. It was like she had Liz's soul within her. Could that really be possible? Was this her Elizabeth Allan reincarnated? She honestly hoped so, but there was a part of her telling her that it was just simply too good to be true. That Liz was just going to be taken from her again the moment she got too comfortable.

They snuck out early that morning and decided to go to Luna Park at Coney Island. It was Liz's suggestion. She felt that Caty needed to relax and try and have fun for a while. They had until Christmas until the clones were supposed to attack and if they did attack earlier there was no way they'd do it out in a public place in the daytime. At least she hoped they wouldn't. But these were versions of Caty who didn't have inhibitions.

The two girls were actually having fun for the first time in a long time. Caty actually smiled a few times, but tried to hide the fact whenever she caught Liz looking. They went ice skating, rode the carousel, and an awkward romantic ride on the ferris wheel before doing the Sky Chaser obstacle course. This was Caty's favorite part. That was until she was kicked from behind. Liz was in front of her and turned to catch her before the two looked up to see her clone.



Wow. She really was hot. Caty wanted to get piercings just like those, but knew her mom would kill her if she ever did. And that haircut? She wanted that exact one, because she knew she'd be able to show off her piercings with it. This clone really was her, but did any and everything she wanted to do with no hesitation. No wonder she couldn't wait until Christmas. But Caty could tell from the kick. This wasn't the one that was trying to kill her. She was the one that wanted to prove she was better. Likely the same one tracking her down with spiders.

"Are you insane? We can't fight here!" Caty exclaimed, regaining her composure.

"Says who?" Caty's clone asked before blowing and popping a bubble of gum.

"Hey, no fighting!" One of the attendants said to them.

Caty glanced towards the attendant with an "I told you so" expression. But she knew that wasn't going to stop the Caty in front of her. She broke her harness, releasing herself from its restraint. She jumped down to a level below jumping in front of a black boy. She was startled by how attractive he was. She never thought piercings would look that great on a guy. Her cheeks turned red as she brushed her hair out of her face. "I'm sorry. Kind of running from a psycho." As if on cue her clone dropped down behind her. "See? Excuse me a moment."

Caty turned her head to the right, but swung her body around to the left to catch her with a surprise kick to the side. Her kick landed sending her clone falling down another level, but catching herself before she could hit the ground. Caty guessed right. If her spidey-sense didn't work on her clone then her clone's wouldn't work on her either. She followed her clone and said, "If we're doing this, we're doing it my way." Caty parkoured off the platform to make it appear as if she wasn't a superhuman and was just a talented street gymnast and ran through the crowd.

Her clone grumbled in annoyance and jumped down to follow her not concerned about putting on a show of humanship.

Liz and the boy were both left alone confused on their platforms. Liz decided to get down the attraction the right way and followed the two into the crowd once she was down. She wasn't concerned for Caty. No matter who or what came her way she could and would handle it. She was her hero, after all.

As they fled through the crowded mall, Danny and Dani searched frantically for a quiet spot where they could safely change into their costumes. With the clone hot on their heels, they ducked into a nearby restroom and quickly locked the door behind them.

They pulled their costumes out of their backpacks, and wasted no time changing. Dani had an identical pink and purple costume to her counterpart, except smaller. She even had her own webshooters, with her own pink webs.

Spider-Man and Spider-Girl emerged from the bathroom fully suited up and ready for battle. Just in time, because they found themselves face to face with the clone. Who had also changed into a costume. “You can’t run away from me forever!”

“Yes but… I’m the real Spidey, yas I’m the real Spidey, and that other Spidey is just imitating!”

The clone chuckled menacingly, his eyes narrowing as he glared at the duo before him. “Nice try, but I know who the real Spider-Man is.” he retorted, his voice dripping with malice. “And it’s not you.”

As Spider-Man and Spider-Girl swung through the crowded mall, the Spider-Man clone was on their tails. The sound of their webs thwipping through the air echoed through the mall as they pursued each other through the chaos.

The clone matched their every move. With each swing and punch, the clone retaliated with equal force, determined to prove its superiority over its counterparts.

Shoppers fled in panic as the three figures darted between the aisles and over the escalators, their fight sending displays crashing to the ground and scattering merchandise in their wake.

Of course, there was one person who didn’t flee the scene. Everyone’s favorite redheaded influencer took the opportunity to live stream the fight to his followers. “Hey all. It’s your boy, MJ! Bringing you an exclusive look at one of the most epic superhero showdowns you’ll ever see. Spider-Man got himself a sidekick, and their fighting against… another Spider-Man? This is wild!”

As the battle raged on, MJ provided color commentary on the whole thing. MJ panned his camera to capture every angle, ensuring his audience didn’t miss a single moment of the action. The comments section of his livestream lit up with emojis, likes, and messages of disbelief as viewers tuned in from all over the world to witness the epic battle.

“Whoa, did you see that move? Spider-Girl just flipped right over that clone like it was nothing!” MJ exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement. “And Spider-Man’s web-slinging skills are on point as usual! This is better than any action movie!”

Then MJ turned the camera on his face. “If you like what you see, don’t forget to like and subscribe. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok. And if you really want to support me, subscribe to my Patreon. You know you want to.” He winked, and blew a kiss at the camera.

As the fight raged on, Dani suddenly remembered a crucial piece of information. She leaned in close to Danny. “Danny, I remember something from the lab where I was created.” Dani whispered. “The clone’s weakness… it’s vulnerable to high voltage electricity. It will destabilize its molecular structure. If we can hit it with enough power, we can destroy it.”

Danny’s eyes widened at the revelation. “Are you sure about this?” he asked. “How do we generate enough voltage to take it down?”

“We’ll need something big, something with enough power to fry circuits and overload its systems.” Dani replied. “I think I know just the thing.”

They shared a look of understanding, then Danny and Dani quickly made a plan. They glanced around the mall, searching for the perfect tool to harness the necessary voltage. And then, their eyes fell upon the giant Christmas tree in the center of the mall.

“The Christmas lights!” Danny exclaimed. “If we can channel the electricity from the tree’s lights, we might have a chance.”

They swung toward the Christmas tree, dodging the clone’s attacks as they maneuvered through the chaos of the mall.

As they reached the base of the tree, Danny and Dani worked quickly to rig a makeshift conductor, connecting the lights to create a powerful surge of electricity. With each strand of lights linked together, the voltage grew stronger, crackling with energy.

The clone, sensing the danger, lunged toward them, intent on stopping their plan at any cost.

With a final surge of power, they activated the makeshift conductor, sending a wave of electricity toward the clone. The clone let out a scream of agony as it was engulfed in a blinding flash of light, its circuits overloaded and fried by the intense voltage.

And then, as quickly as it had begun, the battle was over. The clone distengrated. All that was left was a pile of goo where he once stood.

As the dust settled, Danny and Dani grinned and high fived each other. They had been victorious.

“Did you see that, folks? Spider-Man and Spider-Girl just took down that clone like it was nothing! That’s the power of teamwork right there!” MJ exclaimed.

Danny turned to Dani with a smile. “Thanks for the heads up about the clone’s weakness. We wouldn’t have been able to defeat it without your help.”

Dani grinned back at him. “No problem. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?”

With the clone defeated, Spider-Man and Spider-Girl swung off. Meanwhile, MJ’s live stream continued to rack up views and likes.

Caty led her clone into the House of Mirrors. She got deeper into the maze before changing into her costume. If a fight did happen here it would be better for her to be in-costume. She hoped her clone wouldn't get the same idea so things could be easier. She honestly wasn't even sure if she had one. She thought she saw a webbed design on her hoodie, but she was too focused on not dying to pay attention. She walked through the maze of mirrors to se if she could find herself. For a while the only hers that she saw were genuine reflections of her. She always enjoyed scenes like this in movies, but actually living it was kind of annoying. Especially when the person you were looking for looked like you.

She saw something flash in the corner of her eye and turned around to catch it, but it was gone. This really sucked without her spidey-sense. Spider-Woman sighed and continued forward.

A voice echoed around her. "Look at you. You think you're hunting the hunter, but the game never changed. You're still the prey."

"Oh yeah?" Spider-Woman replied. "How do you know I don't have you exactly where I want you?"

"Because I am you and I know you've gotten used to that little sixth sense of yours. You've become complacent. Even one night with sweet, sweet Elizabeth has you losing your edge. Running away and tricking me instead of fighting me head o---" The clone was cut off by a kick to the face sending her flying across the floor.

"I know you just learned how to talk, but damn, you already do it too much." Spider-Woman said getting in a fighting stance. If it was a hand to hand confrontation she wanted it was a hand to hand confrontation she was going to get.

Clone Caty jumped to her feet and faced Spider-Woman. She was in fact wearing a costume as well. It was black with a red spider and web lining. She also wore a hoodie that was black as well, but once it got to the shoulders it changed. It was instead red with black web lining and completely red on the inside. Her hoodie was a zip-up while Spider-Woman's was a pullover. Arguably the clone's may have been more practical. "Don't get cocky off one surprise kick."

"I was just repaying you back for earlier. You want to prove you're better than me? Fight me. No tricks, no spiders, no sneak attacks. Just straight up martial arts. I win, you give up and you dedicate your life to saving others. If you're me I know you're not evil. We may have darkness inside of us, but who doesn't?"

Clone Caty sent a roundhouse kick flying towards Spider-Woman's face which was promptly blocked. "I guess I get my overly talkative trait from you, but you have a deal. If I win I become Spider-Woman after she kills you."

After the battle was over, Danny and Dani tried to enjoy the rest of their time at the mall. They looked around, and saw that a lot of the shoppers had fled, and their battle left a mess. And yet despite everything, MJ was still filming, having a blast with his livestream.

Seeing Danny and Dani, MJ ran up to them. “Oh my gosh, you missed the whole thing! Spider-Man and his new sidekick got into a fight with a clone. It was epic!” Of course, MJ had put two and two together a while ago, but decided to play along with the secret identity shtick for the time being. After all. Everyone had their secrets. “Luckily, I have the whole thing on video! If you don’t already follow me, you really should.” He put the phone with the video on it in front of Danny’s face

Danny rubbed the back of his head. “I’m not one for social media… It sounds really cool. I can’t believe you filmed it though. Aren’t you worried about getting hurt? That’s really dangerous!”

MJ smirked. He had heard that line before. “Nah, I trust Spider-Man would keep me safe. Besides, my audience lives for this type of thing, and I have to give the people what they want!”

“Excuse me?” Dani protested. “Why would you call Spider-Girl a sidekick? That’s like saying Spider-Man is Spider-Woman’s sidekick. They’re equals!”

Danny just smiled sheepishly, and gave a worried glance at Dani. Concerned she might be blowing their cover.

MJ laughed, and ruffled Dani’s hair. “Fair point kid. Listen, why don’t the three get a bite to eat at the food court? My treat!” Of course, MJ didn’t wait for an answer, he took Danny by the wrist, and ran in the direction of the food court.

As soon as the trio got their food, and sat at the table, MJ’s phone rang. MJ’s heart sank as soon as he saw the number calling. “Uh… hang on, I have to take this.” MJ ran off to answer the call way from Danny and Dani’s earshot. “Hey dad…” His tone was apprehensive.

On the other end, Phillip Watson screamed at his son. “Where the hell are you boy? You’re supposed to be home by now!”

MJ’s facade fell at his father’s angry outburst. “I’m… I’m out with friends, Dad. I’ll be home soon.” he replied, his voice trembling slightly.

But his father was having none of it. “Pfft, as if an ingrate could have any friends. I don’t care where you are! You should be here, helping me clean up the mess you made!”

“I… I’m sorry, Dad.” MJ stammered. “I’ll be home soon, I promise.”

“You better be, or else there will be consequences.”

After the call ended, MJ just stood there for a moment. His father’s words weighing heavily on him. With a sigh, he returned to the table where Danny and Dani waited. He did what he always does, and put on a smile. “Sorry about that guys. MJ Watson is in demand! Everyone wants a piece of me! Anyway, let’s eat!”

The fight was fierce. Neither one seemed to have the edge and it honestly kind of scared Caty. How could someone create a clone this similar to her? She had a lot of skill, likely some kind of download of martial arts knowledge, but it was clear that she didn't have the experience. Maybe she could use that to her advantage. She just needed to find an opening.

Her clone was getting frustrated. She should've better than her, stronger than her, faster than her. She may have been a clone, but she was made to be superior. She had no flaws. No inhibitions. She was perfect. So why wasn't she crushing her beneath her fists? She forced her to play to her advantage. Holding back all that she was truly capable of.

Caty noticed that her movements were getting sloppy. That she was getting slow to defend. She wasn't focused. She got her. Caty hit her with a flying side kick and slid on the floor while she was catching her bearings. Once she was below her she kicked upwards with both of her feet, pushing off the ground with one arm. Her weight was nothing to what she could carry or push.

The clone flew into the air and was about to release webs to catch herself, but Caty beat her to it. With her free hand she released a shot of webs sticking her to the ceiling of the House of Mirrors. She struggled in the webs trying to get free.

"I wondered if the webs I made with Stark would be able to hold someone with my strength. Good to know. You'll be able to free yourself soon, but until then I want to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you." The Clone spat. "Why don't you kill me? That's what you are. A killer. Like you killed Liz. Like you wanted to kill that stupid Goblin. Admit it. I know you. I am you. And I know one more thing. That you killed your father's killer. You play hero, but you're a monster."

Her words struck Caty harder than her fists did. She didn't know how she knew about what happened with her father's killer. It didn't matter though. She was right. "You're right. I did kill them. I did want to kill Hobgoblin, but that's not who I am. That's not who I want to be and thats not who my father raised me to be. I slipped. I was angry, but I realized it was never at Goblin or my dad's killer. I was mad at Danny and I because we failed our dad and Liz. That's why I'm dedicating my life to protecting and saving people. Not killing them and you're not a killer either."

"You don't know that."

"I do know that. You could've killed me, but you didn't want to. You've been tracking me. You didn't even use any broken glass here to kill me. You may kill if you feel it's necessary, but you're not a killer. What's your name?"

"I don't have one..."

"Hmm... You look like a Camilla. It means warrior maiden."

"I like warrior, Camilla it is."

"Come find me after all this is over, Cammie." Caty said before heading out the nearest exit.

"I said Camilla!" She said while still trying to escape the webs.

When MJ returned home to his family’s small apartment, he was greeted by the scent of cigarette smoke, and alcohol. MJ’s heart sank as he entered the dimly lit living room, where his father sat slouched on the couch, a half-empty bottle of whiskey in hand.

Phillip Watson’s eyes narrowed as he caught sight of his son, his expression a mixture of disappointment and barely contained rage. “Took you long enough.” he growled, his words slurred. “Where the hell have you been?”

“I was out with friends, Dad.” he replied, trying to keep calm despite the fear he was feeling. “I told you I’d be back soon.”

Phillip scoffed, taking a swig from the bottle in his hand. “Friends? You call those losers you hang out with friends? You’re wasting your time with those good-for-nothings, Matthew. You should be focusing on something useful, like getting a job or helping me pay the bills around here.”

MJ kept his mouth shut. He knew all too well it was useless trying to reason with his father when he was like this. Years of living with his unpredictable outbursts had taught him that it was better to keep his head down and avoid confrontation.

But despite his efforts to remain calm, MJ could feel his anger and resentment bubbling to the surface. He clenched his fists at his sides, struggling to keep his emotions in check. “I am trying, Dad,” he said, his voice trembling with frustration. “I’ve been looking for a job, but it’s not easy, you know?”

“Don’t you dare talk back to me, boy!” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “Especially when I know that’s bullshit. You spend all your time on that social media crap. You think you’re so smart, don’t you? Well, let me tell you something. You’re nothing but a worthless brat who’ll never amount to anything.” Bullshit!” Phillip shouted.

Then he reached out his hand, and slapped MJ’s face.

MJ recoiled from the sudden blow, his cheek stinging from the impact, he staggered backward.

“You’re a failure, and always will be. Just like your mother…”

At this point, MJ had enough. “Oh come on dad! That’s not fair. It’s not my fault mom left your drunk ass years ago because you couldn’t keep a job!” As soon as the words left his mouth, MJ instantly regretted it.

“DON’T YOU DARE TALK BACK TO ME BOY!” Phillip shouted, as he grabbed MJ’s shirt. “Let me remind you who’s really in charge here.”

But just before Phillip could deliver another blow, there was a tap on the window, and a familiar pink masked superhero on the other side. “Oi, you might want to keep it down. I can hear your screaming for miles!”

MJ’s eyes widened as he turned to see Danny… uh… Spider-Man outside the window. It was to know someone familiar was nearby.

Phillip released his grip on MJ’s shirt, momentarily distracted by the unexpected visitor. His expression twisted into a sneer as he glared at Spider-Man. “Who the hell do you think you are, interrupting me in my own home?” he snarled.

But Spider-Man remained unfazed, his posture relaxed as he leaned casually against the window frame. “Just a concerned citizen, making sure everything’s alright.” he replied. “But it sounds like you could use a reminder about how to treat your family with respect.”

Phillip rolled his eyes at the implication, his fists clenching at his sides. “You think you can lecture me about respect, you masked freak? You don’t know the first thing about—” He starred slurring and passed out.

MJ ran up to the window to open it, and let Danny… Spider-Man in. “Thanks for the save bro. I knew I could trust you!”

“No problem, MJ. Just doing my friendly neighborhood superhero duty.” he replied stepping into the apartment. He glanced around at the scene before him, of Phillip passed out on the couch. He turned back to MJ sympathetically. “You okay, buddy?”

MJ let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just another day in the life.” he said with a chuckle, trying to play off the seriousness of the situation.

Spider-Man nodded understandingly. “Well, if you ever need someone to talk to or a hand with anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks, Spider-Man. I appreciate it.” And then, in an impulsive move, MJ, lifted Spider-Man’s mask a little, to reveal his lips, and gave Spider-Man a passionate kiss.

This was not how Danny was expecting to get his first kiss, yet here it was happening. He was surprised by the sudden gesture, but put his arms around MJ’s shoulders, and returned the gesture. Was it unprofessional? Especially with what MJ is going through? Probably. But that didn’t change the fact that Danny was getting to kiss a cute boy, and it was amazing. Especially with his situation with Chase.

They kissed for a good five minutes before Spider-Man pulled away. “Well that was unexpected… Not that I’m complaining…”

“Sorry, Spider-Man.” MJ said, his voice tinged with embarrassment. “I don’t know what came over me. It was… uh… impulsive.”

Spider-Man chuckled softly. “Hey, no need to apologize. I’m flattered, really. But maybe we should save the kisses for when there aren’t unconscious dads in the room.”

MJ couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, probably a good idea.”

With a final nod of understanding, Spider-Man turned to leave, but not before casting one last reassuring glance back at MJ. “Take care of yourself, MJ.” he said sincerely. “And remember, I’ll always be here if you need me. Oh, and I better not see this on Social Media with the caption “I kissed Spider-Man, not clickbait.” Let’s keep this between us ok?”

MJ nodded. “Of course, Spider-Man. Your secret is safe with me.” He made a zipping motion across his lips for emphasis.

Spider-Man returned the gesture with a playful salute before swinging gracefully out of the window and disappearing into the night.

With a deep breath, MJ turned back to his father, still slumped on the couch, and began to contemplate his next steps.

It was the Night Before Christmas and all was quiet throughout New York. Not a creature was stirring, not even a street rat. It felt like the city was alert, aware that a battle for the ages was on the horizon. It wasn't surprising. Jameson and the Daily Bugle had dubbed the recent days' event, the Spider-Gang War. Caty appreciated the hyphenation, but she started to wonder just who Jameson thought was under the masks. They unfortunately didn't know that these new and different spider people were clones, but one dissolving in the Mall clued them into something strange going on. While the actual newspaper was telling it from a more educated angle, Jameson's podcast called the whole thing a hoax to boost their publicity after the events of the Bloody Halloween. Even with Liz or her clone back Caty still couldn't seem to escape her past. But she didn't care as long as it kept people safe.

Spider-Woman and Spider-Liz swung and flew through the night skies respectively. Liz didn't have a costume of her own since her creator never intended for her to be a hero. He only gave her powers to both make sure that Gwen's friend wasn't lost again and that she'd have the power to help take down the Spider-Twins. She wore a dark hoodie and outfit to keep herself hidden in the night. She didn't want to alert anyone that might've still been out tonight.

Caty had Danny and Dani stay home to protect their mom. She didn't need to be worried about her safety and if Danny got attacked as well at least he'd have backup. But she was sure that they'd be fine. Her clones seemed to only be interested in her and with the first one on the winning team it was time for her enemy's trump card to enter the fray. She still didn't even know who her enemy behind the scenes was. All Liz knew was that he was some green hairy freak with a lab full of cloning technology. They didn't know more than that or what their purposes were beyond revenge. It seemed like he didn't trust them and for good reason. They all turned on him.

"So is your plan to swing around all night hoping you'd find her? How do you know she'll attack tonight?" Liz asked getting tired of flying around all night.

"My plan is for her to find us. My spidey-sense doesn't work against her and vice versa. She knows that. She's likely tracking us right now and waiting until we get tired. Plus it's close to midnight. Christmas. My villains don't let me know holiday peace." Spider-Woman responded confident in her intuition.

"If she catches us when we're tired she'll kill us."

"That's why I've been slowing down and having her think we're tired."

As if on cue a web attached to Spider-Liz's heel dragging her down in a swift motion to a nearby rooftop slamming her hard into it.

"Liz!" Spider-Woman yelled before a shadow jumped her and they tumbled to the ground below. They crash landed onto the roof of a car crushing it in the process. To say the least, that hurt. Spider-Woman opened her eyes to see Death in front of her.



Her silent clone seemed to extend razor sharp nails and prepared to swipe at her jugular ending her right there. Spider-Woman wasn't going to down that easily. She kicked her clone off of her and into the air where she was then blasted in the back by a bioblast from a recovered Spider-Liz.

The clone landed on all fours and crawled into the darkness of an alley to recover the advantage. Spider-Woman walked slowly into the alley trying to focus on her other senses. As she moved further inside she felt something strange. Strange as in she shouldn't have been feeling it in the first place. It was her Spidey-Sense and it was going crazy. Before she could fully think about what was triggering this a swarm of spiders crawled out of the darkness and inundated both Spider-Woman and Spider-Liz in a wave of spiders. This was the worst thing imaginable. Something straight out of a horror movie.

Spider-Liz blasted away as many spiders as she could with her bioblasts, but more would come to replace them. Spider-Liz did all that she could to prevent any from entering any holes in her mouth when she realized it seemed impossible to otherwise resist her fate.

Spider-Woman felt the pain the spiders were going through as Liz killed them off, but she had her own pain to worry about. This was it. She couldn't stop them. She was telling them, asking them to please stop, but they wouldn't. For the first time in her life Caty felt true fear and utter despair. What she felt when she saw Liz falling felt like nothing compared to this. She was going to die. She was going to lose Liz again. Her clone was going to kill her mom, Danny, Camilla, Dani, and likely anyone else she cared about. She couldn't take it anymore. Why her? What did she do? All she wanted to do was protect people. Why did it seem like the entire universe was conspiring against her? She was so overwhelmed that she started to cry, loudly.

The unexpected tears caused the clone to step back and turn her head in puzzlement. This girl? The one that defeated and turned her sister? A killer? A monster? Monsters don't cry.

The spiders also seemed to react to Caty's tears. They stopped responding to the clone's commands and stopped trying to eat and burrow into Spider-Woman and Spider-Liz. In fact they started crawling off of them and kneeling before Spider-Woman waiting for her command.

Caty couldn't feel the spiders crawling on her anymore. For a second she seemed to black out. She didn't know what was happening. When she came to she noticed snow falling from the sky, but that wasn't the strangest part. She looked up from the floor where she had fallen from the onslaught of spiders and saw the spiders just looking at her.

"What did you do?" Spider-Liz finally asked.

It was clear that the clone was wondering the same. She may not have been able to speak and her face was hidden, but her expression was clear.

"I... I don't know." She said finally standing up. "But I'm tired." She said, this time speaking directly to her clone. "We could fight, but it'd be tiresome and I rather not do to you what you just did to me. I just want to go home and spend Christmas with my family. You can go out and be a Spider-Assassin going around killing whoever you feel like, but if you do I'm stopping you here and now. Or you can come and be a person and live with people who care about you. It's your choice. I'm already inviting Camilla."

"Camilla?" The silent cloned signed towards Caty.

Caty was surprised to see she knew sign language. Well, she wasn't all that surprised. She knew it herself.

"The other, other me. I named her after I beat her. I'm guessing you don't have a name either. How about Cassie? It's short for Cassandra. We can be the 3 C's."

"Now I feel left out," Liz said, her name being the only one not starting with a C or D. At least Gwen and Harry were still the odd ones out.

The clone stared silently for a moment and signed. "I like Cassie."

"Cassie it is. Now, how am I going to explain this to my mom?"

Caty, Liz, and Cassie found Camilla using Jumper, who Caty had been using to track her.

“You used your spider to track me?” Camilla asked unamused.

“I learned from the best,” Caty responded cheekily.

“I can't believe you were able to turn her. What kind of overpowered cosmic ability do you have?”

Caty shrugged. “I'm not too sure it was me. All I did was cry and say I was tired.”

Camilla couldn't believe it. This was the girl she lost to? The true Spider-Woman? She sighed, admitting defeat.

The newly assembled quartet returned to Casa de Davis where Caty explained to her mom that Liz survived her incident, but was undergoing an experimental procedure to save her life and that Camilla and Cassandra were Dani's sisters and that they wanted to stay with them for Christmas. Denise, of course, accepted this, but she wasn't the fool that her kids thought they were. She asked the girls to follow her to her room leaving Caty and Danny alone together.

Denise brought the girls to her room and closed the door behind them. She sat on the bed because she felt like she needed to sit down more than they did. “I know you're clones and that my kids are Spider-Man and Spider-Woman.”

“What?” Camilla exclaimed. “How?”

“I knew it!” Dani chimed in.

Denise sighed with a light chuckle. “I realized they were the spider-heroes back on our Disney vacation. I would know my nieces and I know you died Liz. I'm a retired Agent of SHIELD. I want you four to be trained and undergo missions doing things my kids or the Avengers can't or won't. I'll be your handler. Any objections?”

“That'd be awesome!” Dani yelled. “We'd be like Totally Spies or Charlie's Angels or—”

Cassandra placed her hand over Dani's mouth.

“What about Caty? We just…” Liz sighed.

“I'm sorry, but this isn't something I want them for. At least not yet. Despite everything that's happened I want them to still be kids and New York needs them.” Denise responded. She understood Liz's feelings and her daughter's. If it were meant to be they'll be together.

Meanwhile Caty was awkwardly standing in the living room with Danny. “Kind of a crazy Christmas, huh? We have three new cousins or sisters.”

“Tell me about it!” Danny sighed exasperated. He was looking at his phone watching MJ’s Youtube channel. “My other clone tried to attack me and Dani at the mall. He wasn’t as lucky as those three unfortunately… MJ Watson caught the whole thing on film. Somehow that video is getting tons of likes and views. Do people like Spider-Man or MJ that much?”

“But that’s not the craziest part. Before Dani arrived Chase and I… Well, we’re kind of taking a break. After taking Danny home the other day, MJ and I… well, MJ and Spider-Man I guess… Had a kiss… Who would have thought Danny Davis would be having relationship drama?”

Caty's eyes widened. She was glad that it seemed that Danny was having a much better holiday than her. Recruited one clone and turned the other to goo, got famous, and got a kiss from the boy he liked. It was a bummer about what happened with Chase, but at least he had that pick me up.

“I'm sure MJ just boosts your already high popularity. I'm sorry about your clone, but I'm glad you and Dani are okay. And if things don't work out with Chase at least things are on the up with you and MJ. Do you think he knows who you are?” She was genuinely interested in it all. They hadn't really talked much lately, admittedly it was her fault. She hadn't been around him much lately. She's been putting a lot into her crimefighting life, forgetting to really be Caty. No, to put it more correctly she was choosing not to be Caty.

“I hope not… I mean… He didn’t let on that he knew who was under the mask… I don’t know where things are going with MJ and I, but I’m enjoying the ride. I thought I would be cursed to be single forever.” He then looked at his sister. “Speaking of love lives, how are you doing now that Liz is back? Sorta kinda…”

Caty sighed. Part of her wanted to avoid that topic. “Just try to keep him safe. And about Liz… It's honestly been weird. I mean… I'm pretty sure she might actually be her. But I don't know. I was just starting to get through the worst of the grieving process. I love Liz, but it's too much for me to jump back into it. But on the bright side, she also has powers. She can fly and shoot green blasts.”

“Cool! Superhero power couple!” Danny exclaimed. He nodded at the rest of what Caty had to say. “Yeah, I would imagine it would be a lot to process. I’m sure Liz will understand if you want to take things slow. And, I know I am the last person to be giving romantic advice, but I’m here if you ever need someone to talk to.”

Caty smiled softly. “Thank you, Danny… I think I just want to be single for a while and focus on me and being Spider-Woman. I'm sorry I haven't been twin of the year lately. This year was just really a lot and I really didn't know how to handle it all, but it wasn't fair to you or mom. I'm going to try to do better.”

“It’s alright. Mom and I both understand you’ve going through it. Between Dad and Liz… But it is good to have you back in the family again. Speaking of family. How long are Mom and the clones going to keep talking? I want to open presents already!”

As if on cue Denise and the clone quartet walked down the stairs. No one noticed before, but there seemed to be extra presents under the Christmas tree.

“Speak of the devils”, Caty laughed.

“Who are you calling a devil?” Camilla bit back.

Liz laughed.

“Now, girls. Hmm. That's strange. I don't remember putting those gifts there.”

Everyone walked over to the Christmas tree to see what Denise was talking about. The clones, including Liz noticed there were presents under the trees with their names on it.

“Something good has finally happened on a holiday.” Caty said feeling at peace about how everything turned out. It started off hectic and she broke down towards the end of it, but here she was with her family and it was bigger than ever.

Danny’s eyes lit up as he grabbed the pink wrapped gift with his name on it. He unwrapped it excitedly, and his eyes lit up when he saw what was under the wrapping paper. It was an expensive and highly sought after Barbie doll he had been wanting for so long. The prices on Ebay were ridiculous. He let out an excited squeal. “Eeeee! Wow! This is amazing! I can’t believe somebody actually found one of these! This doll costs a fortune secondhand! Thank you so much!”

Danny rubbed the back of his head, and laughed sheepishly. He was a little embarrassed being a teenage boy getting excited by a Barbie doll, but thankfully, he was distracted from that after Dani opened her gift, and got the exact same doll Danny got. She had no qualms about expressing her enthusiasm. “OHMYGOSH! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!”

Caty was shocked. It seemed like these mystery presents were everyone's wishes. She went to hers and unwrapped it. It was in wrapping paper the same color as her costume. She opened the box inside to see some tech she had been wanting to add to her web-shooters. This couldn't have been from her mom. “This is getting freaky. This is exactly what I've been wanting, but couldn't get.”

Camilla knelt down and unwrapped her present to see a costumed inside. She closed it back up so Denise could keep her secret. “I got some pajamas.”

Liz unwrapped her present to see a costume as well. “Wow. This is going to be my new favorite outfit.”

Cassie crouched down in front of her gift. Hers actually came with a note. It said that once she opened the box she'd have a voice, but it was up to her. She showed the note to the others.

Caty was really confused now. “A voice… in a box? Mom? Is Santa real?”

Denise paused for a moment. “Well… Ever since you two were kids there were random presents your father and I never bought. Maybe?”

Danny shrugged. “Being a man of science, I would say no. But between Spider-Men and Spider-Women, mutant werelizards and all the other weird stuff we’ve seen, anything is possible I suppose.”

Caty noticed that there was another mysterious gift. This time with her mother's name on it. She handed it to her. “This one's yours.”

Denise took the gift and unwrapped it. When she opened the box to see what was inside her hand rushed to her mouth as tears began to fall from her eyes. Everyone started to wonder if she was okay. Denise pulled out a snow globe that held the scenery of her and David's first date and kiss.

Everyone silently came to the same conclusion. Santa was real and he was a miracle worker.