Danny’s eyes snapped open. Chase was nowhere to be found. In fact, he wasn’t even in the Baxter Building anymore. Instead he was… back at Midtown High? This was different though. The fluorescent lights flickered above, casting a dim glow that made the place feel more like a prison than a school. Danny looked down, and to his horror, he saw that he was wearing the same clothes he wore when he was younger. He glanced around, panic setting in as he realized this wasn’t just some random hallway. The lockers looked exactly the same, and the distant sounds of students’ laughter and chatter echoed down the corridor.

Danny’s heart sank when he saw Skyler, and his group of friends up ahead, laughing obnoxiously. It was just like it had been back then. Danny’s stomach churned as he remembered the daily torment he had endured.

Skyler noticed Danny and sneered. [color=blue]“Well, look who it is. Little Danny Davis. Still as pathetic as ever.”[/color]

Danny tried to walk away, but his feet felt heavy, like he was wading through quicksand. He wanted to fight back, to say something, anything, but his voice caught in his throat. All the confidence he’d gained as Spider-Man felt like it had been stripped away, leaving him vulnerable and scared.

[color=blue]“Where’s your stupid costume now, huh?”[/color] Skyler taunted, shoving Danny against the lockers. The impact was jarring, and Danny winced, feeling that familiar helplessness creep over him.

Danny’s back hit the cold metal of the lockers, the sound echoing through the hallway. Skyler loomed over him, his sneer turning vicious as he grabbed Danny by the collar, pulling him closer. [color=blue]“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? You’re so chatty when you thought you were something special.”[/color] He shoved Danny back again, hard enough to make his head slam against the locker, a sharp pain shooting through his skull.

Danny squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out Skyler’s taunts. 

[color=blue]“Pathetic.”[/color]

[color=blue]“Loser.”[/color]

[color=blue]“Freak.”[/color]

Each word cut deeper than the last, and Danny felt tears well up in his eyes, his body frozen in fear. He wanted to scream, to fight back, but all he could do was curl into himself, waiting for it to be over. 

Skyler raised his fist, ready to take another swing. [color=blue]“Let’s see what happens when you don’t have your stupid mask to hide behind.”[/color]

—-

Meanwhile, Chase found himself in a different kind of nightmare. He was standing in a dark, cold lab filled with old, dusty equipment and the faint hum of machinery. It was the exact setup of his father’s old lab—a place Chase had avoided even thinking about since the day he ran away. He was wearing his old school clothes.

Chase knew exactly what was coming next. He could hear the echo of his father’s voice, stern and filled with disappointment.

“You’re nothing but a failure, Chase. You’ll never be anything without me.”

Chase turned around, his heart racing, and saw his Victor Stein standing there, looming over him. The room felt smaller, the walls closing in as his father’s presence filled the space with anger and resentment. Chase tried to leave, but the door was locked.

His father stepped closer, shoving a prototype of the Fistigons into Chase’s hands. “You think you’re a hero? You’re just a stupid kid playing with toys you don’t understand.”

Chase’s hands shook as he held the Fistigons. He wanted to tell his father he was wrong, to prove he was more than just a disappointment, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he felt small, trapped in the shadow of a man who had always made him feel worthless.

“You’re a disappointment.” Victor said coldly.

Victor loomed over him, a towering figure of disappointment and disdain. “You’re not smart enough to use those,” he sneered. “You never were. You couldn’t even get your grades up, let alone be a hero. Without me, you’re nothing.”

Chase’s heart pounded in his chest. He had heard these words so many times before. He wanted to scream, to fight back—but, to do something, he couldn’t move. His feet felt glued to the ground, and his voice was caught in his throat, silenced by years of self-doubt.

“You’re weak,” Victor continued, stepping closer. “You always have been. That’s why you keep failing. That’s why you’ll never be anything.”

Chase looked down at the Fistigons, his hands trembling. The words cut deep, and for a moment, he felt like that scared, lost kid all over again. But then, somewhere in the back of his mind, he remembered all the times he’d proven Victor wrong—every battle, every time he’d stood up for his friends, every moment he’d used these gauntlets to protect the people he cared about.

He wasn’t just a kid playing with toys. He was Talkback, a hero in his own right, and he didn’t need his father’s approval to be that.

Chase’s grip on the Fistigons tightened. He looked up at his father, his fear slowly giving way to anger. [color=teal]“You’re wrong.”[/color] Chase said, his voice shaky but gaining strength with every word. [color=teal]“I’m not a disappointment. I’m not weak. I’m stronger than you ever gave me credit for.”[/color]

Victor’s expression twisted into one of rage, but Chase didn’t flinch. He activated the Fistigons. [color=teal]“I’m not you.”[/color] Chase continued, raising the Fistigons. [color=teal]“And I never will be.”[/color]

With a burst of energy, Chase aimed the gauntlets at Victor, firing a powerful blast that sent his father’s shadowy figure hurtling back. The room shook, and the illusion shattered, the walls of the lab crumbling away as the nightmare began to break apart.

Victor’s form disintegrated, leaving Chase standing alone in the ruins of the lab. He had faced his father’s ghost and, more importantly, he had faced himself.

Chase felt better, but it wasn’t time to celebrate. His father may have been gone, but he knew he wasn’t back in reality yet. If he had to face his nightmare, then Danny was dealing with something too. Chase wasn’t about to let him face it alone. [color=teal]“Hold on Danny…”[/color]