[IC] The Amazing Spider-Twins

[King Kindred]

It was New Year's Eve and this year Catherine Davis was without anyone to kiss. Why was that you asked? What happened to her cloned and newly empowered girlfriend, Elizabeth Allan? Well, you see. Unbeknownst to the Amazing Spider-Twins, their mom and the clone quartet are all Agents of SHIELD. The quartet left shortly after Christmas to begin their training, but told Caty and Danny that they were going to travel the country for a bit and get away from their creator now that they failed their mission. A technical truth, so the twins weren't all too suspicious. It just left Caty in the dumps and on high alert.

She didn't know who their creator was. Just that he went by the name Jackal. She was honestly starting to get tired of these super freaks with a vendetta against her. It was already bad enough that Jameson and the Bugle wouldn't lay off her with calling her a menace. At least MJ was helping Danny look like a hero. She wouldn't be surprised if they ended up having them fight each other soon. She just really couldn't catch a break. It had only been over half a year since she and her brother began moonlighting as costumed superheroes and it was starting to feel like decades had gone by. If she weren't careful she'd start prematurely aging.

A sigh escaped Spider-Woman's mask as she swung through Times Square. All seemed normal. People were having fun below and even noticing her and tonight that happened to be a problem. She was blinded by four spotlights aiming directly at her. She dropped to the ground using her spidey-sense and reflexes to land on her feet. The spotlights followed her and she lifted her arm up to shield her eyes. Just as she did, two of the spotlights left her and pointed upwards in the opposite direction. There was a man costumed once again dressed in green, but this time with a fishbowl for a head and a long, purple cape. Two of the screens in the Square changed to show Spider-Woman and this Mysterious Man respectively.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," He began to announce. "TONIGHT IS YOUR LUCKY NIGHT, FOR I INVITE YOU TO THE SHOW OF A LIFETIME. WHERE I, THE MARVELOUS AND MAGNIFECENT MYSTERIO, WILL STOMP OUT THE MENACE QUEEN OF PESTS, SPIDER-WOMAN!"

"Oh, you've got to be shitting me." Spider-Woman said to herself before responding out loud. "I'm still not finished with the last one!"

"I assure you, Spider-Woman." Mysterio said with a smooth, but almost icy tone. "I'm no criminal of the underworld competing with you for top billing. I'm an entertainer, but it's come to my attention what this beautiful city needs is a hero that'll take out the trash for it."

Spider-Woman looked down at her costume. "I know my costume's kind of dark, but do I really look like a trash bag?"

The crowd laughed. Caty wasn't sure if it was at her or with her, but it seemed that they were still on her side for now. Maybe if she talked this guy down no one had to get hurt.

"Look. You've got the wrong idea. I'm no criminal. I just protect people and stop crime."

Mysterio paused, confused and slightly irritated. This wasn't how this was supposed to go down. He was losing the crowd. "That's not what the Daily Bugle says. They say you got a police officer and a young girl killed."

Caty felt a tight pain in her chest. Even though Liz was alive again the feelings and memories of what happened never went away. She still blamed herself for what happened. She already felt that way so why did she have to constantly get reminded of that fact? By Jameson and by wannabe heroes now too?

Spider-Woman lifted her head to face the cameras. "A misguided villain calling himself Hobgoblin was responsible for their deaths. He thought I and Spider-Man were someone else and wanted to hurt them. Despite knowing this I already blame myself more than you, Jameson, or anyone else in this city can. That's why I'm out here tonight making sure no one else will go through what they went through."

Mysterio was getting angry now. He was glad he was wearing his helmet or everyone would see his inability to hide his facial expressions. "You really expect us to believe your sob story? Tonight the world will see you for the villain that you are."

A smoky gas began to fill the area causing everyone in the vicinity to hallucinate, including Spider-Woman. Before the toxins could fully affect her or Jumper she shot a web to the roof of the nearest building. Jumper immediately jumped on the web. "I need you to find Danny, buddy." She whispered to him. He nodded and ran up the string as fast as he could to find Spider-Man.

When the gas fully kicked in she could see what everyone else was seeing, well, almost. She saw a swarm of spiders crawling over the citizens and the square. They were seeing her command the spiders as their Queen. Spider-Woman told herself that none of this was real. Well, the people were real. At least she hoped all of them were real. For all she knew she could be hallucinating all of this. She was getting a headache thinking of all of this. She just needed to focus on helping people and stopping Mysterio. She hadn't seen him since this all started so for the moment she needed to calm down these people and get them to safety.

Spider-Woman walked to the nearest person, a young woman a few years older than her. "Hey, excuse me, miss. These spiders, or whatever you're seeing isn't real. Pay attention to the sound of my voice." The woman screamed at the sound of her voice.

"Stop it! Tell the spiders to stop! I thought you were a hero, but Jameson and Mysterio were right!" The woman exclaimed.

Spider-Woman stepped back. Were they all starting to feel like this? How was she supposed to help them? While lost in thought she felt something latch onto her back. Before she could turn to see what it was she was pulled backwards to the ground and dragged across the floor until she reached Mysterio. She stared up at the giant bowl staring down at her. She wasn't even sure if this was real. This couldn't be real. Maybe this whole thing was a hallucination. Maybe this guy poisoned her earlier and she was just thinking she was in a battle. She could even be sleeping. What if she attacked him and he was a civilian or one of her friends? Was there actually a point in fighting back? The people lost faith in her. It was fine when it was just the news, but if the people stopped believing in her then that only left the truth. That she was a villain. A killer. A menace. Real or not she didn't want to hurt anyone anymore. She just wanted to stop hurting. Someone let the pain stop. All of these thoughts were running through her mind. She wasn't even listening to Mysterio's speech. She didn't even realize he was talking until the end.

"You're not the hero, I AM!!" Mysterio said before trying to bash her head in with a hammer fist.

[Crimson Flame]

Danny missed having Dani with an I around, but understood why she had to leave. She said something about traveling the country with her sisters to get away from their creator, but Danny was sure they probably also wanted some degree of normalcy. Anyway, aside from the clones leaving, things have been going well, at least for Spider-Man. Jameson said the same shit about Spider-Man being a menace as he does for Spider-Woman, but at least MJ was there to make Spider-Man look like a hero. His Spider-Man videos were going viral.

Speaking of MJ, Danny has been seeing a lot more of MJ now. He moved in with his Aunt Anna, who happens to live next door to the Davises. Danny had a view of MJ’s bedroom from his own bedroom window.

Relationship wise, as far as Danny understood, he was still single. He and Chase were on a break, and MJ made it clear he was not ready to be tied down with a relationship. And yet, they were still going to Times Square for New Years Eve together. Danny still hoped to get a kiss at midnight, even though he was sure MJ would rather kiss Spider-Man.

On New Years Eve, while Caty was on patrol as Spider-Woman, Danny was there as Danny. Though he still had his Spider-Man costume on standby just in case things went wrong.

While MJ was taking selfies, Danny was having a chat with Harry. “Hey Harry. How’s Gwen doing?”

Harry shrugged. “It’s been rough. I barely managed to come out for this… Whatever you do, don’t bring up you know who…”

Danny saluted. “Right, got it!”

“Anyway, Spider-Man has been all over the internet lately!”

Before Danny could respond, Skyler butted in. “Spider-Man is lame! Spider-Woman is where it’s at. Her costume is cooler, and she’s hotter.”

At this point, MJ put the phone down. “If Spider-Man is so lame, why did you dress as him for Halloween?”

Skyler shifted his feet nervously. “Uh… that was supposed to be a joke Matt. You know, funny haha. I would never be caught in a sissy pink costume for real!”

“Right… Then, explain that photo of him in your locker.”

Skyler’s face turned bright red. “Um… I think I hear my date calling!” He stammered before running off as Danny and Harry laughed.

MJ smirked. “He doesn’t have a date. No tea, no shade, but I think that boy is hiding something, if you know what I mean.”

Danny just chuckled at the exchange.

Just as Danny was starting to have fun, a crazy person had to go and ruin it. As soon as Mysterio came on the big screen, Danny ran off to change into Spider-Man. When he got back, he was greeted with chaos. Everyone was running and screaming in terror.

Amidst all the panic, Jumper found Spider-Man, and directed him to Spider-Woman, where she was in a fight with Mr. Fishbowl head himself. Danny stepped in, and caught his fist. “Excuse me, I think you’re mistaken. I’m the hero here. Oh, and the fishbowl isn’t a good look.”

Spider-Woman and Mysterio's eyes widened with shock as the latter's fist was caught by “Spider-Man!?” They exclaimed in unison, but with two completely different tones. Hers was more of hope and his was more of rage and annoyance. He was confident he could take Spider-Woman, but Spider-Man as well? Two was a bit more than he could chew.

Spider-Woman wasn't sure if her brother was really here or if this was her mind hoping he was there to save her. Either way, she was alive and Spider-Man provided an opportunity for her. She pushed herself up sending her flying above Spider-Man's arm feet first to kick the giant target that was Mysterio's fish bowl. It was surprisingly very durable and sturdy, but the force of the kick sent him flying into the crowd where he disappeared into the gas waiting for his next opportunity to strike.

Spider-Woman recovered her bearings and turned to face her brother. “Thank you. I didn't realize you were so close. You weren't on a date were you?” She knew he and MJ had gotten closer since Christmas. It was part of the reason why she decided to still go solo tonight. She waited for his response before getting back to the subject at hand.

Danny shrugged. “Kinda. But this is more important!” He wasn’t sure if he and MJ were considered dating, or if he was just in the friend zone. Either way, that didn’t matter, they had more serious matters to deal with.

“There's something strange about his gas. Outside of the hallucinations it seems to even be affecting our spidey-sense.” Caty finally said.

“If it’s affecting us, then Fishbowl head must have gotten his hands on some really powerful Neurotoxin.”

Right on cue, Mysterio attacked, spraying Danny with a whole bunch of the gas. Suddenly Caty was gone, as well as the rest of New York. Danny was standing alone in darkness. “Uh…h-h-hello?”

Suddenly, Mysterio came out of nowhere, and punched Danny in the face, knocking him back. “You may act like a hero, but we all know it’s a farce!”

Then, another Mysterio appeared, and punched Danny. “You and I know the truth. You’re just a scared little child playing dress up!”

And then a third Mysterio attacked. “The city may think it’s cute, but they’ll turn on you!”

Danny stumbled backward, disoriented by the sudden onslaught of attacks from multiple Mysterios. Each punch landed with force, shaking him to his core. He tried to fight back, but it was like battling shadows in the darkness. Of course, in reality, Danny was punching the air.

“Mysterio!” Spider-Woman yelled. She watched as her brother fell victim to his gas and was fighting the air.

“That's my name! You can say it as much as you want before you go down. Your partner's useless and you're all alone.” Mysterio replied more sure of his victory.

Spider-Woman closed her eyes. He was trying to get under her skin and it was working before, but he was wrong. She wasn't alone and Danny was far from useless. “You're wrong about everything you said here today. I'm not a villain and I'm not alone. Spider-Man's my partner and I have friends, many friends and I think it's time you got a taste of your own medicine.”

Spider-Woman borrowed Cassandra's move and called for all the spiders in the surrounding area. It'd take a while for them to get there since the ones in the Square were affected by the toxin. She needed to help Danny and keep Mysterio distracted for the time being. “SPIDER-MAN, STOP FIGHTING THE AIR AND WAKE YOUR ASS UP!!!” She hoped that hearing her voice was enough to get him to break through Mysterio's illusion. She needed his help. She needed her brother.

As Danny was being piled on by multiple Mysterios. He tried to regain his composure. “This… this isn’t real,” he muttered to himself, trying to shake off the effects of the hallucinogenic gas.

But the onslaught of Mysterios continued, each one taunting him with words that cut deep. Danny felt his confidence waver. Were they right? Was he just a scared child pretending to be a hero?

But then, he heard his sister's voice calling him. His mind latched onto the familiar sound of his sister’s voice. It cut through the illusions like a beacon of hope, reminding him of who he was and what he fought for.

With renewed determination, Danny focused on Spider-Woman’s words, pushing aside the doubts and fears that threatened to overwhelm him. Taking a deep breath, he summoned all his strength and resolve. With a sudden burst of energy, Danny broke free from the illusions. He was back in Time’s Square with his sister by his side. “Thanks.” Danny muttered. “God, that was awful. I knew there was nothing there, and I was still taking a beating…”

Caty smiled under her mask. She knew she could rely on Danny. Spider-Woman was reinvigorated and ready to finish this. She'd play Mysterio's word game to buy them time. “You failed, Mysterio. You reflect people's insecurities and fears back at them with your words and your fishbowl. All that to hide how much of a failure you are inside. Your first thought was to put people in danger to turn them against someone trying to protect them. If you really wanted to be a hero you wouldn't have put on a flashy performance or attacked people. You would've talked to and joined us.”

Mysterio was furious now. He refused to let his plans be reuined. He really wasn't expecting Spider-Man to be here. They only worked together once to his knowledge and that was in California. This wasn't supposed to be happening. He could deal with one spider freak, but when they were this in sync he was useless. No. He was not going to give up. “So what? You haven't won yet.”

Mysterio threw his arms forward preparing to release his neurotoxin again on the Spider-Duo when he noticed something on his gloves. His helmet magnified it and he realized it was a spider. No, there were multiple spiders crawling all on him. He let out a girlish scream. “Get them off, GET THEM OFF!!”

Spider-Woman held back her laugh. “I will, only if you release everyone from their torture.”

Mysterio released a neutralizing gas into the air immediately. Once the gas was in the air and Caty didn't feel any illusions she told the spiders thank you and that their job was done. They scurried away leaving Mysterio on ground scratching his body in a frenzied panic. Caty would've webbed him up, but she wasn't all that concerned about him running away at this point. The police should be here soon anyway.

The civilians were returning to normal and realized that they weren't being eaten alive by spiders and that Spider-Woman and Spider-Man saved them. The crowd ran up to the Spider-Duo and began thanking and praising them. Some saying they always knew Jameson was full of it. For the first time since they put on their masks the Spider-Twins were finally being recognized and not looked at as menaces or villains. For the first time it all felt worth it to Caty.

And amidst all the praise, everyone’s favorite redheaded social media influencer was filming the whole time. “This is getting even more clicks than the Mall incident. You know, you two should work together more often. The Spider-Twins of New York has a nice ring to it. Do you mind if I get a pic? My friend Danny is going to flip when he sees I got a picture with both of you.”

Spider-Man’s eyes went wide. “Sorry, I have to go. Duty calls!” He swang off, to find some place to go change. MJ just chuckled knowingly.

Spider-Twins of New York? Caty thought to herself. It was official. MJ definitely knew, but at least he wasn't forcing Danny to admit it. Spider-Woman waited for the police to arrive to pick up Mysterio and took a picture with MJ and a few other people in the meantime. She needed the good PR and he was right. They definitely needed to work together more often.

Once the police arrived her job here was done. She had something else she needed to do tonight.

[King Kindred]

The clock was ticking down the final minutes of New Year's Eve as Caty webbed through the city. She was on a high from the events of the night. She was still annoyed that another villain found it necessary to cause her and her brother stress and trauma around the holidays, but at least it ended in a victory and the people recognizing that they actually were heroes. It did get dark there for a while. She really almost gave up. It made her realize that she still wasn't as over her guilt as she thought she was. It made sense. Liz may have been back and things were better with her family, but there was another family that got destroyed in all of this and she never gave Gwen the friend that she needed. She told herself that she wanted and needed space, but she refused to go into the New Year without at least a conversation between the two. She was one of her best friends and she missed her.

Caty finally made it to Gwen's house, in her incognito costume, which is really what she just called her flipping her hoodie inside out. It was surprisingly effective. She landed on the roof and climbed down towards Gwen's window like a spider. She tapped it gently. The last thing she needed to do was destroy her window when she was trying to apologize.

Gwen was sitting at her computer. She was trying to write, but found it hard. She's been keeping a virtual journal, but this was her first New Year's without her dad. Her brain was too foggy. She couldn't think of anything, but her father not being here anymore. She already lost her mom. Now she had no one. She turned her head after hearing a tap at her window. She sighed before wiping the tears forming in her eyes. She got up from her chair despite not wanting to. What was she doing here? Shouldn't she be out there patrolling? Being a "hero"?

Gwen opened the window with a sad and tired expression. There were bags under her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping much lately and anytime she did they were fueled by nightmares. She couldn't even have peace in her dreams. "What are you doing here?" She asked Caty bluntly.

Caty saw her face and recognized it immediately. It was her face. How she'd been after her dad's death and especially after Liz's. She should've been here sooner. No, no should have. She's here now. "I'm hoping you'd let me in so we can talk. I'm sure you don't want anyone seeing Spider-Woman hanging out here."

Gwen shrugged and started walking back into her room. "I don't know. If they saw me talking to you maybe no one else would confuse us for the other. Come in."

Caty felt heavy in her stomach at her response. So they were going heavy right off the bat. It didn't matter if Caty felt like she deserved it or not, Gwen's feelings were valid and understandable. She climbed inside and closed the window behind her. Once inside she pulled her mask down so they could talk to each other face to face. Gwen to Caty, not Spider-Woman. "Yeah... That's what I wanted to talk about. I want to apologize for what happened with your dad. Neither of you deserved that. He was an amazing man and father. He was like a second dad to me."

"I'm not mad about my dad. Okay, yes. I'm mad about my dad, but not at you. Not for that. I'm mad at that lunatic. I'm mad at myself for being weak. I... I'm mad at you for abandoning me."

Caty was surprised by her words. She never realized that Gwen felt weak. Then again she hadn't been hanging with her as much lately. But it was that Gwen felt like she abandoned her. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to give you space to grieve and honestly I didn't know what to say. But you're right. I may not have been there before, but I'm here now."

Gwen shook her head. "You still don't get it. You abandoned me way before my dad died, even before you got powers and became the Amazing Spider-Woman! I started losing you when you and Liz started dating and don't get me wrong. I love you both and I was so happy for you two. But I started to lose my best friends. Then I really lost you two when your dad died and you started being a hero. Then... my dad and Liz died then I lost three of my best friends for good all in one night. Then I lost Danny, because he's your brother and I couldn't explain how I felt and I just feel so alone. I know I have Harry and he's amazing, but..."

Caty ran up and hugged Gwen before she could finish fighting with the words she wanted to say. Tears started to flow in her eyes. She hadn't realized how selfish and how terrible of a friend she was. "I'm so, so sorry. I love you and I'm sorry I made you feel like you lost me even before my dad and everything. Liz and I never wanted to make you feel that way." She thought about telling her about Liz being alive, but how could she explain that someone cloned their best friend, but her dad was still dead? "You are so important to me and I promise I'm going to be a better friend from here on out."

Gwen pulled her head back, tears flowing in her eyes as well. "You still don't get it." Before she could continue an alarm blurred to life on her computer symbolizing that it was now officially midnight of the New Year. To clarify what she meant Gwen decided to kiss Caty on the lips.

Caty's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden kiss. Gwen's lips were soft and they fit together well. She returned the kiss with equal passion and pulled back. She definitely couldn't tell her about Liz yet. "Wow. That was a surprise. A great kiss, but Gwen. You're with Harry and I... I'm not ready for anything with anyone."

Gwen shook her head. "I'm not leaving Harry. I just never expressed my true feelings for you. No, that's wrong. The kiss confirmed it. I love you, but you're my best friend and I'd really appreciate it staying that way. Plus, I really do love Harry Osborn."

Caty smiled. She was happy that things were better between the two of them now and that there wasn't going to be a scandal on their hands. "Thank you, Gwen. I should go." She walked towards the window and leaned outside of it before looking back at Gwen with a smile. She turned back to look at the night sky. She touched her lips and jumped out of the window before swinging off into the distance. Little did she know Harry Osborn was standing at Gwen's doorstep, a little late for his midnight kiss, but not too late to see Caty's strange gesture.

---

Caty felt like nothing could ruin her night, but knew better than to say that out loud. She had put her mask back on since she left Gwen's, but was still in her incognito costume. She wanted to end tonight on the high that it was. No one would be foolish enough to try anything else tonight after knowing the Spider-Twins are on the job. No, she was headed home. Gwen reminded her just how much sleep she had been losing, especially with the hunt that she had just went through. It was strange that the mastermind behind the clones hadn't revealed himself yet. She actually hated that. It left her on edge. As long as they were out and about she and her family weren't safe and that included her new sisters and revived ex(?)-girlfriend. God, why was her life so damn complicated?

As if to answer her question and complicate it even more God sent exactly who she was looking for her way. Her head was ringing for the first time tonight. "It's official. God will not let me rest." She tried to observe the area, but before she could completely span it she was grabbed from below by a large green beast. What was up with her enemies and the color green!? And how the Hell did he grab her all the way up there? She didn't have the time to think about either of these questions before she was thrown into the ground below. She hit the pavement hard causing a crater to form beneath her.

Caty groaned in pain and opened her eyes preparing to shoot a web at whatever just tossed her, but before she could even find her mark it landed on her left wrist, specifically where her web-shooter was, breaking it and her wrist in the process. She was in so much pain that she couldn't scream. She was in shock.

The Green Beast pulled her up with her other hand and pulled her up to its face. "You really have some nerve. Must you continue to torment the Stacy's?"

Caty tried to speak, but no words were coming out.

"Don't speak. Just listen. I should kill you right now. You've already ruined my plans, but in the spirit of the holiday you get a new chance at life. Plus it'd be better to have you living in fear of THE JACKAL!" The Jackal dropped her on the floor with a thud. He laughed and leapt away, leaving her to lie alone in the pit.

---

---

Meanwhile the Avengers were halfway across the world having a much better holiday. They just finished taking down a secret Hydra Army led by Ulysses Klaue hellbent on pillaging the hidden country of Wakanda for its vast resources and super rare Vibranium. The same materials that made Captain America's shield. This war revealed Wakanda to the World and introduced the Warrior King and Hero, T'Challa, the Black Panther. He accepted the Avengers' help and led his people to victory taking out Klaue in the process. In an effort to protect his country from the world T'Challa decided to join the Avengers as an oncall member, his main priority always being his home country.

[Crimson Flame]

With a few minutes left until midnight, Danny ran back to meet up with MJ. “Where have you been?” MJ exclaimed as if he didn’t already know Danny was Spider-Man. “I got a picture with Spider-Woman!” He said as he showed Danny his phone.

Danny rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Um… running in fear…” Danny lied. “I’m not going to stick around with some maniac on the loose…” Danny’s heart raced as he tried to maintain his composure under MJ’s scrutinizing gaze. He knew he wasn’t the best liar, especially when it came to MJ.

MJ raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Running from a maniac? This coming from the same guy that took on Skyler?” MJ said.

Danny shifted uncomfortably, searching for a convincing excuse. “Well, you know, I just didn’t want to risk getting hurt, you know? I mean, I’m no superhero like the Spiders... Speaking of which, that’s a cool picture you got there.”

MJ continued to study him for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. “Alright, Danny. I won’t push it. Let’s just enjoy the countdown and the fireworks, okay?”

Danny breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded eagerly. “Yeah, sounds good.”

As clock counted down, the boys eagerly awaited for midnight. When it came, there was much celebration. There was fireworks and confetti.

Danny nervously asked MJ if he could have a New Years kiss.

MJ smiled apologetically. “Danny, you’re sweet, and I like you, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I’m not ready for that kind of relationship right now.”

Danny's heart sank at MJ's response, but he tried to mask his disappointment with a forced smile. "No worries, MJ. I understand." he replied, attempting to sound casual.

MJ placed a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder. "I hope you're not too disappointed. You're a great guy, Danny. It's just... I'm not looking for anything serious right now."

Danny nodded. "Yeah, I get it. No hard feelings." He wanted to be understanding, but MJ was quick to kiss Spider-Man, but Danny gets rejected. Just another reminder that Spider-Man is cool, but Danny Davis is a loser.

MJ, sensing Danny’s disappointment, did his best to help. “Listen, you’re really cute and sweet. You should go out and see other people, live your best life.” MJ suggested. “Any guy would be lucky to have you! And maybe one day, I’ll be ready.” He winked.

Danny managed a small smile, though his heart still felt heavy with disappointment. “Thanks, MJ. I appreciate it.” he said, trying to sound grateful for the encouragement.

As they continued to watch the fireworks, Danny couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy as he saw couples around them sharing kisses and embracing in the New Year’s celebration. He wished things could be different between him and MJ, but he knew he had to respect his friend’s boundaries.

As the festivities continued, Danny did his best to enjoy the rest of the evening with MJ and their friends, putting aside his feelings of inadequacy and focusing on the fun of the New Year’s celebration. Deep down, though, he couldn’t shake the sense of longing and disappointmet. wondering if he would ever find someone who would reciprocate his feelings.

But for now, he decided to take MJ’s advice and focus on living his best life, knowing that someday, he might meet someone who would appreciate him for who he was.

——

As Spider-Man swung through the city, his senses alert for any signs of trouble, he spotted a massive pile of sand, wreaking havoc with destructive intent.

Without hesitation, Spider-Man swooped down, landing in front the movinf. “Hey, hey! What’s going on?” he called out.

The Sand reformed into a human. “Stay out of this, Spider-Man! This is between me and Norman Osborn!” He growled.

Spider-Man’s eyes widened. “Norman Osborn? What did he do?” He asked with genuine concern.

“He lied to me, Spider-Man! He promised he had a cure for my daughter’s leukemia, but it was all a trick. He’s responsible for what happened to me, and now he’s going to pay.” The man started to become sandy again.

Spider-Man sighed. He really felt for the guy. He was also surprised that Norman Osborn would do something like that. I mean, he knew he wasn’t the best father, but this?

“I know you’re hurting, but this isn’t the answer.” Danny insisted. “We can find another way to hold Osborn accountable, together. But first, we need to stop this before anyone else gets hurt.”

The man hesitated. After a tense moment, he slowly began to stand down, his sandy form starting to solidify.

“Okay, Spider-Man. You win.” The Sandman conceded. “But mark my words, Osborn won’t get away with what he’s done.”

Spider-Man nodded. “We’ll find a way to make him answer for his crimes. But for now, let’s focus on helping your daughter.”

And then, as if on cue, Norman came out, surrounded by a bunch of armed officers. “Thank you Spider-Man, that will be all.” He said as the officers apprehended the Sandman.

Danny was stunned silent. He managed to talk the guy down from killing Norman Osborn, and he gets arrested anyway. It wasn’t fair. How was he going to look Mr. Osborn in the eye when Danny Davis reports for internship with him. Even worse, how was he going to tell Harry?

[King Kindred]

Caty was really starting to get annoyed with the Avengers, but specifically Tony Stark. They just had to outshine them every time and she was starting to think it was on purpose, because why wouldn't Tony invite her and Danny to help them take down HYDRA in Wakanda? Discovering that it was the most technologically advanced country in the world was what really pushed Caty to feel this way. She should've been there talking science with their brightest minds. Think of all the ways she could upgrade her web-shooters. This thought had been on Caty's mind for months now, especially after discovering that the clone quartet was there helping them and were practically honorary Avengers. At least that's what Dani said, Liz later clarified that they were actually Agents of SHIELD and that's why they left shortly after Christmas. Caty wished she could join them. Things had been rather quiet and awkward these past four months. Her and Gwen were friends again, but she couldn't get that kiss out of her mind and she could've sworn that Harry was giving her strange looks. Did he know about the kiss? At least nothing went further than that, right? She did feel a little bad though, but she wasn't the one to initiate it. That was between Gwen and Harry.

Outside of that she was getting back to the feel of being Caty again. She did a lot of extra credit work to make up for all of the in-school classwork and tests that she missed. School still wasn't the same without Liz, but she made sure to hang out with Gwen whenever she wasn't with Harry or she wasn't busy being Spider-Woman. Caty had also been texting and calling Karolina a lot more these past four months, but she's been silent for about a week. The last thing they talked about was Karolina and the crew's parents were hiding some sort of big secret. She hoped she was okay. Maybe she'd visit LA again soon and check on her.

Besides that crime was pretty normal as well. They surprisingly weren't attacked by a Cupid-themed villain on Valentine's Day. But she did hear about what happened to Flint Marko, one of the first people she came into contact with and helped as Spider-Woman. He was turned into a literal sand man by none other than Norman Osborn. For the past year that man has been a thorn in her and the city's side. She couldn't believe she used to look up to him. Now he was some criminal mastermind finding entertainment in turning people into super powered freaks and ruining their lives. Admittedly, her becoming Spider-Woman was completely her fault. No one told her to stay behind and look for a radioactive super spider, in fact Norman escorted everyone out. But that didn't change the fact that if it wasn't for him Hobgoblin and now Sandman wouldn't be a thing and she and Gwen wouldn't have lost so much.

The anniversary of the day she and Danny got these powers were coming up. That also meant the anniversary of their dad's death. This was part of the reason why she hated how quiet these past few months were. At least all the back to back supervillains kept her mind off the grief, but she knew she couldn't avoid it for long. She needed to process it and heal. But she wasn't sure if she'd ever heal the hole that losing her dad left inside her.

---

Alarms were blaring in New York's Prototype Supermax Prison built and funded by Tony Stark and the Avengers. In here they kept the more recent superpowered villains that have been popping up. Not just the villains that the Avengers have faced, but the villains that the Spider-Twins have put away as well. It seems that they were the targets of today's break-in, or rather break out.

A tall, mysterious figure shrouded in what appeared to be a Lion's Pelt accessed the wing that held the Spider-Villains. They were all here. Mysterio, Vulture, Rhino, Hobgoblin, and the Sandman. The mysterious figure unlocked all of their cells and they all started coming out one by one. All except one. The Sandman remained in his cell. He didn't want to go anywhere. He wanted to do his time and get out and see his little girl.

"You're all free." The mysterious man said in a thick Russian accent. "On one condition. You help me hunt the Spiders. If you choose betrayal and personal freedom I'll simply add you to the list."

Rhino stomped forward hulking over the man. "Ya? Why should we be scared of you?"

The mysterious man answered this question with a quick and decisive palm to Rhino's chin sending him collapsing to the floor unconscious. Kraven stepped out of the way and sighed. "Anyone else vant to test Kraven the Hunter?"

They all shook their heads in unison.

"Good. Goblin, carry him or vake him up. I do not care which." Kraven said before walking over to Sandman's cell. "You come too, ya?"

"No. I'm staying here. I don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to be reunited with my little girl." Sandman said resolute.

"No can do, my friend. Orders for the job." Kraven walked over to Sandman and placed an electric collar around his neck. He pressed a button on his belt, shocking him. "You come now, ya?"

[Crimson Flame]

As Spider-Man swung through the city, he heard the blare of alarms and the urgent chatter of police radios. Something was wrong. Apparently there had been a breakout at the Supermax Prison.

But before he had a chance to react, his Spider-Sense went off. A sudden gust of wind swept past him, followed by a loud screech. The Vulture swooped down, talons bared, aiming straight for him.

“Whoa, easy there, Birdbrain!” Spider-Man quipped, narrowly dodging the Vulture’s razor-sharp claws. “You know, you really need to work on your aim!”

But the Vulture was not going to give up so easily, diving at Spider-Man with a ferocity that took him by surprise. Spider-Man twisted and turned, using his agility to stay one step ahead, but the Vulture was determined to bring him down.

As Spider-Man evaded the Vulture’s attacks, he heard the heavy thud of Rhino’s footsteps approaching from behind. With a quick glance over his shoulder, Spider-Man saw the massive brute charging straight at him, horns lowered like a raging bull.

“Oh great, just what I needed. A Rhino on the loose!” Spider-Man quipped, leaping out of the way just in time to avoid being trampled. “Come on, big guy, can’t we talk this out over a nice cup of tea?”

But Rhino was in no mood for conversation. The Rhino charged at him again. With a quick web-swing, Spider-Man shot towards the nearest building, narrowly avoiding Rhino’s charge.

As if those two weren’t enough, a third fighter entered the fray. A sudden haze enveloped the rooftop. From within the haze, the fishbowl headed Mysterio appeared.

“Aw, what's the matter fishbowl head? Having FOMO?”

But Mysterio was having none of the jokes today. Mysterio split into a bunch of Mysterio clones, and all went after Spider-Man. His Spider-Sense went into Overdrive having to dodge attacks from Mysterio, Vulture, and Rhino. Danny tapped on his earpiece. “Spider-Man to Spider-Woman. I could use some help here!”

Spider-Woman was already on her way to the prison when she got Spider-Man's message. She tapped on her earpiece to respond. “On my—”. She was cut off by a ringing in her head. Her Spidey-Sense was going crazy, but she didn’t need it to know what was coming. She heard the sound of a screeching cackle behind her. She dove down to the ground narrowly avoiding the exploding pumpkin bomb, but the explosion pushed her even further down. She landed in a pile of sand. She stood up and looked down into the sand to see a face forming.

“Sorry, kid. They're forcing me.” Flint said with a saddened expression before tightening the sand around her ankles.

“It's okay. I'm going to save you.” She knew if it wasn't for Norman he wouldn't even be in this mess. She was going to help him and bring that man down if it was the last thing she did.

“How? You can't even save yourself.” A new voice said, approaching her. He was a large, muscular man, wearing a lion's pelt as a trophy.

“Let me guess. Hercules? No. The Lion King.” Spider-Woman quipped completely unamused with the man in front of her.

“Kraven. The Hunter.” Kraven said with a snarl. “I'd kill Hercules.”

“Big talk, Mr. Hunter. I'm assuming you're the one behind the breakout and controlling Flint?”

“Yes and no. If it were up to me, I'd be hunting you alone. But my benefactor insisted I get some help.”

“I bet I know who your benefactor is and he was right, but it still won't be enough. You messed with the wrong Spiders.” Spider-Woman aimed her arms towards the incoming Hobgoblin. She shot her webs to latch under his glider pulling herself out of Flint's sand. She pressed her earpiece again. “I've got some problems here myself, I'll try to bring them your way.”

Just as she said that Kraven threw a spear at Spider-Woman. If it wasn't for her supernatural senses and reflexes he would've hit her directly, but she moved her body out of the way allowing it to hit the Hobgoblin's glider sending them both hurtling through the city towards the prison.

“Great…” Danny mumbled. As he dodged attacks from three villains at once. His Spider-Sense was not letting up, and this was getting exhausting. As did his best to fight them off, he couldn’t help but notice the underlying tension between them. Vulture, Rhino, and Mysterio seemed to be at odds with each other, each vying for dominance and control over the situation. They may have had a common goal, but they did not work well together at all.

Noticing this, Spider-Man decided to use this to his advantage. As Rhino charged at him once again, Spider-Man swiftly dodged his attack and redirected him towards Mysterio. With a well-timed web shot, Spider-Man ensnared Rhino’s legs, causing him to stumble and crash into Mysterio, sending both villains sprawling to the ground.

“Watch where you’re going, you brute!” Mysterio exclaimed.

“Looks like you two could use a timeout together.” Spider-Man quipped.

Meanwhile, Vulture continued to swoop down from above, talons ready to strike. But Spider-Man anticipated his movements, using his agility and quick reflexes to stay one step ahead. With a series of acrobatic maneuvers, Spider-Man managed to lead Vulture straight into the path of Rhino and Mysterio, causing a chaotic collision.

Spider-Man chuckled to himself as we watched the villains fight and argue amongst themselves. He pressed on his earpiece. “These guys don’t get along. Let’s show them that teamwork makes the dream work, eh?” Then, Spider-Man noticed the Hobgoblin crash land right nearby. “You! You’re the one that killed Captain Stacy, and Liz Allan. Do you have any idea what kind of Hell you put people through with your Shenanigans?” Spider-Man didn’t wait for an answer, and proceeded to web him up.

The Hobgoblin used his brute strength to break free from the webs. “I didn't kill them. Osborn and Spider-Woman did, but I'll kill you and the other arachnid.” He threw a trio of pumpkin bombs at Spider-Man.

Before they could even come close another set of webs caught them in the air. Spider-Woman came out of hiding after recovering from the crash to catch the Hobgoblin off guard. A part of her wanted to throw these bombs right back at the creep to pay him back for what he's done, but the other part of her knew better and was a hero. “Finally, someone got it right. I just hate that it's you.” She launched the bombs into the air causing an explosion of fireworks.

This distracted her from an incoming collision from the Sandman with Kraven riding his sandy back. Her spider-sense wasn't registering him as a threat. It was because of his intentions and her perceiving him as an innocent victim in all of this. This was going to be a problem.

Spider-Woman crash landed near the arguing trio, but specifically Rhino.

“If it isn't the itsy bitsy Spider-Woman. The one who wouldn't let little Aleksei get away. But now BIG ALEKSEI WILL MAKE THE LITTLE SPIDER PAY!” Rhino tried to stomp on Spider-Woman, but she rolled her eyes and her mask reflected it before she shot a pair of webs into his eyes and shot another web at the Vulture's wings who proceeded to fly to get her off of him. They were so predictable.

The Vulture dragged Spider-Woman through Rhino's legs and the ground. Okay, maybe not that predictable. She expected him to fly up, not burn her on the cement. She shot another web at Rhino's back and attached the two webs together. The Vulture found himself unable to fly any further as he was tied to the immovable idiot. It wasn't going to last long so Spider-Woman took the opportunity to run up her web and knock the Vulture out of the sky unconscious.

“Now for you.” She said to the Rhino who just freed his eyes from her webs. They both turned to face each other. The tension in the air was pretty thick. The Rhino charged forward ready to crush the bug for good.

Spider-Woman stood there calmly, waiting for him. He was sorta like a bull, right? A huge bipedal idiotic bull. This should be easy. She waited for the right moment to leap into the air and land right back onto his back. She turned around and gripped his horn and aimed him towards Mysterio.

“No, you buffoon! The other way!” But the Rhino's horn crashed into Mysterio's fishbowl helmet narrowly avoiding impaling his face, but releasing Mysterio's gas out of his suit and into the area.

“Okay, I might've messed up here Spider-Man!” She really hated this magician and his gas. At least the Rhino was doused too. Before she started hallucinating she saw him cradled in the fetal position.

Spider-Woman's nightmare had her face to face with Tony Stark and the Avengers. “You'll never be good enough to join us. We can't have a teenage killer on our team. But your clone? Oh yeah. She's the one. So much better than you in every way. No wonder Liz loves her.”

Spider-Man was busy dealing with Hobgoblin, Kraven, and Sandman. Danny thought he should free Sandman first. If only there were a way to get that collar off of him.

As he ducked and weaved to avoid another explosive pumpkin bomb, Spider-Man scanned the area for any sign of weakness in the collar that bound Sandman. Spotting a small panel on the side of the collar, Spider-Man’s eyes narrowed with determination.

“Alright, time to get creative,” Spider-Man muttered to himself, his mind racing with ideas.

With a swift movement, he fired a thin strand of webbing at the panel, aiming to cover it and prevent any further activation of the collar’s mechanism.

As the webbing coated the panel, Spider-Man watched closely for any signs of change. To his relief, the collar seemed to deactivate, its lights flickering before finally going dark. Sandman let out a sigh of relief as the collar loosened its grip, and fell off.

“Thanks kid, I owe you one!”

“Anytime, Sandman. Let’s finish this,” Spider-Man replied.

Without wasting a moment, Spider-Man sprang into action, swinging towards Hobgoblin with agility and determination. Dodging the incoming barrage of pumpkin bombs.

“Hey, pumpkin head! You’ve been causing quite the fireworks display. Mind if I join in?”

Hobgoblin cackled, tossing another explosive pumpkin bomb. “You think you can stop me, Spider-Fool? I’ve got enough tricks up my sleeve to keep you busy all night!”

Spider-Man somersaulted out of the way, landing a solid kick to Hobgoblin’s side. “I’ve dealt with scarier clowns at birthday parties! Time to wrap this up!” Spider-Man, with a flick of his wrist, managed to disarm Hobgoblin by webbing up his pumpkin bombs before they could explode. With a swift series of punches and kicks, he incapacitated the madman, leaving him webbed up and dangling from the rooftop.

Meanwhile, Sandman confronted Kraven, his sandy form towering over the Hunter. “You can’t control me anymore Kraven!”

Kraven smirked, twirling his spear. “I fear nothing, Sandman. Least of all a pile of sand. Let’s see if you can back up those words with action!”

As Kraven lunged in for another strike, Sandman shifted his sandy form to engulf Kraven’s legs, trapping him in a makeshift sand prison.

Caught off guard, Kraven struggled to break free, but Sandman’s sandy grip held strong, Sandman compressed the sand around Kraven, immobilizing him.

But in between all of the chaos Mysterio had one more trick up his sleeve. He doused Spider-Woman with his hallucinogenic gas. He really hated that… So Danny swung by his sister’s side. “Ok, you saved me from this, so now it’s my turn. WAKE UP! Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real. They can’t hurt you.”

Spider-Woman knew what she was seeing wasn't real. She closed her eyes to try and quiet out all the voices shouting her insecurities. She wasn't a killer, not anymore. She just proved that. She heard Danny's voice throughout all the noise and opened her eyes to see him. “Thanks, Spider-Man.”

Mysterio was trying to get away while everyone was distracted. “Not so fast.” Spider-Woman said, shooting a web at his back and pulling him back towards them. She webbed him to the floor completely once he fell near them. She wasn't going to give him a chance to try anything else with them or the police once they arrived.

She then walked over to the still hallucinating Rhino and knocked him unconscious with a punch to the face to relieve him of his nightmare. “They already have to lug him. Didn't want them having to deal with webs, too.”

She turned to Sandman, “Thanks, Sandy. I'm sorry you're dealing with all of this. You should go, you don't deserve to be locked up.”

“No problem, kid. But just call me Flint. And I don't know. As much as I wanna see my little girl… I'm no good to her on the run. I'll stay here and make sure they don't give the cops trouble. Maybe I'll get off for good behavior and helping the Spider-Kids.”

“Hey, we're not kids.” Spider-Woman replied with a smile.

“Hey, I'm a dad. Everyone's a kid to me.” Flint said with a smile of his own.

“You're a good man, Flint. Your daughter's really lucky to have you. Good luck with everything.” Spider-Woman turned to Danny just in case he had anything to say before they left.

Danny smiled beneath the mask. “Yeah, what she said. You’re a stand-up guy, Flint. Take care of yourself, alright? And if you ever need a hand, you know where to find us.” He gave a thumbs up.

Spider-Woman heard the sirens in the background. Looks like the police were finally about to arrive. “Sounds like that's our cue. See you around, Flint.” She thwipped over to a nearby lamppost and grabbed Liz's old camera. She had started using this since New Year's to pick up where Liz left off. She mostly sent photos to the Bugle, but occasionally she sent some to MJ through an encrypted server as Spider-Woman. This was one of those nights. She knew Jameson would've blamed this whole thing on them, but with these photos even Flint would look like a hero. He and his daughter needed that. She downloaded the pictures to her phone and sent them as she swung through the city.

[King Kindred]

New York, 20 Years Later...

The city was unrecognizable. It was in ruins. Society no longer existed. There was a constant dark and smoggy overcast. Flying robots patrolled the skies. Just what could have happened here? Where were the heroes? The Avengers? The Spider-Twins, the Clone Brigade? How could they let this happen?

The sound of a battle could be heard. On closer look there's a young girl in a costume with a spider-symbol on it. Could it be? The Spider-Woman was still here fighting the good fight? Wait, no. That wasn't her. Her costume was different, yes, but that wasn't it. She was way too young to be the Spider-Woman that we know. "Spider-Girl, watch out!" A voice called out in the distance.

"I got it, Iron Lad!" She yelled back while using one of her webs to launch herself up and over a robot that was flying after her. She dropped down onto its back and stabbed the joints in its neck to disable it and cause them both to fall out of the sky. She held on for dear life for the expected crash landing and jumped right before they hit the ground to land gracefully next to it. Well, it would have been graceful had it not been for all of the smoke and dust obscuring her moment. "Ultron Bot secured!"

"I can't believe how reckless you are, Davina. You were supposed to wait for me and the others. You could've gotten killed." The voice from earlier said before landing and dispersing the smoke and dust. He was wearing a suit of armor similar to that of Iron Man's. He took off his helmet and walked over to the downed Ultron Bot examining it.

Spider-Girl took her mask down. "Please, Nathaniel. You worry too much. I've been training specifically for this. To take these monsters down. And now we finally have a chance. Are you sure you and Tony can use this thing to create a virus to take them all out?"

"These guys killed the Avengers. Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Don't forget that. They acted as a team and it still meant nothing. You're lucky I cut his communications when I did. We would've had a whole horde out here. But yes and no. I have a new plan. Their idea wasn't wrong. A hero that's an android. One that can do things and take the risks others can't. I figured it all out last night. Nathaniel sighed. He hoped he wasn't wrong. Would his hubris lead the world to an even worse fate?

Davina recognized that look. He was holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. She walked up to him and knelt down next to the Ultron Bot to face him. "You're the smartest guy I know and our dads and my uncle are super geniuses. Our moms, too. Basically out of multiple super genius families, you're the smartest out of all of us. If you believe this is the way, then I trust it." She lifted his chin with her hand. "I trust you. I'll distract Tony while you tweak the virus. I can't believe this is it. After so long, after all we've been through... I'm going to miss you."

It was his turn to comfort her now. He wiped the tears starting to form in her eyes. "I love you. But don't worry. We'll see each other again soon. It'll be different versions of us, but I'll love you in every timeline."

"I love you too. In every timeline." The two kissed for what felt like forever. For all they knew this would've been their last kiss in this timeline. They didn't know what would happen after Nathaniel left to the past. He decided to stay there and they theorized that this timeline would either cease to exist, become a pocket reality, or correct itself with the changes. Either way, it seemed impossible for him to return here.

A beeping could be heard coming from Iron Lad's helmet. It seemed that he got everything he needed from the Ultron Bot. He pulled back from their kiss and wiped the tears starting to form in his own eyes. He stood up and extended his hand to Davina. She put her mask back on and took his hand before moving into her spot in his arm. With his other arm he released a beam of energy that destroyed the bot's head before the the two of them took off into the skies back to their underground mansion bunker, the X-Mansion.

[Crimson Flame]

Meanwhile, back at the X-Mansion bunker, Dr. Danny Watson-Davis was pacing back and forth in a panic.

MJ Watson-Davis noticed his husband’s stress and tried to calm him down. “Relax tiger. We have the best and brightest minds working on this, including you! Everything will be ok.”

But Danny was not reassured. “Oh, I don’t know. I just feel like I’m in way over my head.”

MJ pulled him into a comforting hug, his voice soft but determined. "Danny, listen to me. You've faced challenges far greater than this before. You're one of the most brilliant minds I know, and you've always found a way to overcome the odds."

Danny sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, MJ. It's just... the stakes have never been this high. We're talking about saving the world here. What if I make a mistake? What if my calculations are off?"

MJ smiled. "We'll figure it out together, like we always do. And remember, you're not alone in this. We have the entire team backing us up. We'll find a way to stop this."

Danny nodded. "You're right. We'll get through this together."

The two men shared a passionate kiss, and then Davina and Nathaniel came back. They both cleared their throats, and only then did Danny and MJ pull away from each other. “Sorry about that… Just needed some reassurance.” Danny laughed sheepishly.

Just at that moment, MJ and Danny’s daughter Annabelle Denise Watson-Davis, affectionately known as Annie came bouncing in.



“There you are! Davina, who said you could go off on an adventure with a cute boy, without me?!” She chided. “Everyone knows I’m the star of this family! It is sooo boring down here! The grown ups won’t let me help with… whatever it is their working on. The one good thing is all the cute boys. Your boyfriend, Franklin, Teddy, heck Billy and Tommy aren’t bad on the eyes either. Anyway, spill. What happened? I need all the details.”

MJ giggled. “She’s definitely your daughter. She absolutely got that boy craziness from you.” MJ whispered to his husband.

Danny blushed, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Davina, you were supposed to wait for the others… I understand your excited, but this is serious business. Something bad could have happened to you…” Then he turned his attention to Nathaniel. “Did you get what we needed?”

[King Kindred]

Caty, Hobie, Reed, and Sue were in another section of the bunker when the two returned. They were getting things ready for Nathaniel's jump to the past. Reed and Sue's movements were a bit slower than normal. They wanted to prolong the time they had left with their son. They didn't know if or when they'd ever see him again, but someone had to do this. Someone had to go to the past and prevent this future from happening or at the very least save another timeline. Even if the time travel plan didn't work Nathaniel now had a way to spread a virus throughout every single Ultron Bot on the planet. They weren't exactly sure if it'd work on the main body, but it'd definitely work on the assembled creations.

Distracted from the thoughts of losing her son caused Sue to drop a piece of equipment. Instinctively a barrier was placed around it preventing it from hitting the floor and getting damaged. Everyone turned around and looked at her, but Caty was the first to move, with Reed following suit. They all knew what was going through her mind. Hell, the same thing was going through Reed's. Caty was thinking of it as well, but not in the same way as them. She was worried for her own daughter. She knew what it felt like to lose someone you love and it seemingly being forever.

"Hey, Sue. It's going to be okay. It sounds like the two of them are back. Let's go see them and let the men handle things while we're gone." Caty said while rubbing Sue's back to comfort her.

"T-thank you, Caty." She said before freeing the equipment from her barrier and handing it off to Reed. They lingered for a bit, not wanting to let this light moment of physical touch pass. They were already about to say goodbye to one of their sons, they didn't want to think about saying goodbye to each other. They let go and Reed returned to work with Hobie while Caty and Sue left the lab to see their kids.

---

Davina laughed at her cousin. She actually admired how she could stay positive in this world. Then again, this was all the world that they knew, but she had a feeling that Annie would've fit more in a world without Ultron. She needed a life of adventure and romance. It wasn't like she couldn't get that in this reality. It was just different. Annie needed a life outside of this bunker or being a hero. But Davina? All she knew and could imagine was being a hero. Even in an apocalyptic world like this. "Annie, you ever think the fact that you're boy crazy is why you don't get to adventure with them?" She asked her cousin with a smile showing it was mostly a joke. "But... it was so flipping cool. I mean, it's terrible out there. But it felt like living one of our parents' stories. I took down an Ultron Bot and my Knight in Shining Armor handled the rest."

Nathaniel blushed at Davina calling him her knight in shining armor. She technically wasn't wrong, but the attention was a little embarrassing. "Yes, I hacked into the Ultron Bot and got everything I needed before destroying its head. I also disabled its communications before then so it couldn't call for backup."

"You two did great," Caty said as she and Sue entered the room. "But your uncle's right, Davina. You could've been killed."

"Do I really have to get this lecture from everybody?" Davina asked with a sigh.

"Yes," Sue answered matter of factly. "I can't have anything happen to my future daughter-in-law."

[Crimson Flame]

Danny smiled and nodded. “Perfect, everything's coming together.” He sighed wistfully, and looked at his daughter and niece. “You know… I didn’t want this for either of you. I was hoping the two of you could have normal lives… That our children wouldn’t have to bear this burden.” He chuckled a little. “Look at me, I’m turning into my mother.”

MJ placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “We all wish for a different world Danny. One where our kids didn’t have to grow up in constant danger. But this is the hand we’ve been dealt, and we have to make the best of it. And I think we’re doing a great job of it if I do say so myself.”

Annie twisted a piece of blonde pink tipped hair between her fingers. “I for one wouldn’t trade this for anything. Normal is overrated anyway. What, when you can have epic adventures with cute boys?” She winked at Davina. “One day, we’ll look back on this and laugh at how wild this was.”

Nathaniel couldn't help but feel sad looking at the scene. He was really about to leave his friends and family. Everything and everyone he's ever known just to save a time he never knew. Was it really necessary? Was hope completely lost for this timeline?

“If everything works out as planned we'll have that world. And if not, at least there will be a world out there like that.” He smiled to hide how he was really feeling. “I'm going to go bring what I have to Mr. Stark.” Nathaniel left the hangar and moved throughout the bunker. He saw the different people living their lives as he passed each area. Mutants, humans, and whoever, all getting along together in harmony. This was the only good thing that came out of this future. People united, working and living together. Maybe something like this could still happen in their new time.

Davina turned to the others after Nathaniel left. “I… I need some air.” It was all really starting to hit her now. Her boyfriend was really leaving. Everything was about to be different from here on out. Why did she let herself get so close to him? Why did she have to let him go already?

She left the hangar to return to the surface. There was nothing left for her to do now.

Caty wanted to talk to her. She knew exactly what she was going through. She lost the woman she loved around the same age and she lost her again when Ultron attacked. “Annie, sweetie? Can you go check on your cousin? It's still not safe up there.”

Annie gave her aunt a salute, and followed after her cousin. She approached gently. “Hey, uh… is everything ok?” She didn’t wait for an answer, of course it wasn’t. “Who am I kidding? Of course it’s not. I can’t imagine what you must be going through. But, we’re family. We’re Spider-Girl and Spiderling. We got each other's backs. You can talk about it.”

Davina was crying again. She couldn't hide how she felt anymore, so when her cousin asked she decided to let it all out. “It's… it's just not fair. Nathaniel shouldn't have to do this. This wasn't his mistake, but he's the one who has to fix it. I'm losing the love of my life for a plan we don't even know will work or change anything. And I hate that I feel this way. I'm not a hero. The fate of the world and everyone in it is at stake, but I'm over just wanting to stay in this hellhole with him forever. We're living in fear, but with him it's paradise. Why do we have to be the ones to have to let go of that?... God, I'm so selfish and pathetic.”

Annie put her arm around her cousin’s shoulder. “Hey hey, listen. You’re one of the bravest people I know. Being sad, scared, and angry about possibly losing the one you love doesn’t make you selfish or pathetic. It makes you human. It’s normal to want to hold on to the people you love as the world falls apart.”

She gently wiped Davina’s tears. “Nate loves you, I can tell. God, I wish I had a guy look at me the way he looks at you. He definitely wouldn’t want you to blame yourself or feel guilty about what’s happening.”

Davina needed this. She needed her cousin's words and comfort. She was always more like a sister to her than a cousin. She always knew what she needed to hear. She was a lot more mature than she let on. She always figured it was Annie's way with coping with everything. “Thank you, Annie. And you'll get that one day, I'm sure of it.” Well, she wasn't exactly sure of anything right now, but it was time that she started to have some hope.

[King Kindred]

Nathaniel watched the other families that he had grown to know and love since his time here. His cousin, Shani Munroe-Storm, aka Wildstorm. He was going to miss her. Would she even be born in this new timeline? His family only came to the X-Mansion because that's where the Resistance was based. But he and his brother turned out to be mutants. It's possible that connection was enough to bring his aunt and uncle together. He hoped so. He wanted to make sure that little Nathan got to be with his friends and family. That he'd get to be with Davina. The world could still unite. They didn't need an Ultron Apocalypse to bring people together. He'd protect the past and the future.

The sound of someone calling his name snatched him from his thoughts. It was Alex Wilder. In the past he and his friends stood up against their villainous parents known as the Pride. Ultron attacked before that event reached a resolution, but Davina told him that her mom and uncle went to LA to help them and that's why they weren't in New York when everything went down. Cloak and Dagger transported them all. Nathan figured that was the moment he had to go back to. If he could stop them from leaving New York they could all help in the final showdown against Ultron.

"I'm sorry. Yes, Mr. Wilder?" Nathan said finally.

"You can call me Alex. There's something I need you to do when you go back to the past." His tone and expression was serious. Not angry or forceful, but guilt. "In the past I learned how our parents were villains a year before the others did. I also learned that some of their parents planned to kill all of us that were non-powered and take the new world for themselves. I was going to betray my friends to save Nico and I and our parents... But I know that was wrong now. The world, humanity wasn't as lost as I thought. The way humans, mutants, inhumans, mutates, and the supernatural have all united together to protect and live with each other. I need you to convince younger me. Tell him of Jia. Show him that we can be heroes."

Nathaniel was... shocked. He had never seen this sign of Mr.--Alex before. He would've never even expected him to betray his friends in the past. He was glad that he let him know about this. Jia was one of his closest friends. He'd do this. If not for Alex and the others, but for her as well. "I'll do it. I'll save you and turn you into one of the greatest heroes."

Alex laughed and hugged Nathan. He never expected that he could find redemption. It took him forever to tell Nico what he was planning and it was a miracle that she had even forgiven him. But he understood then that he was wrong. Now he was getting the chance to fix that mistake for good. Tears started to well up in his eyes. "Thank you... I'm sorry I've added this onto your already heavy burden."

"It's okay. Saving someone isn't a burden, especially when it's helping a friend."

Alex pulled back from the hug and wiped his tears. "You're a brave and kind young man. I hate that we're placing this all on you, but you've shown time and time again that there's no one better for this. Not because of your powers, but because of your heart."

"T-thank you, sir. That means a lot. But you're all not placing anything on me. I chose this. People deserve hope and I have the vision for a new future." Nathaniel said, but still feeling regret over having to leave the girl he loved. If he could take her with him he would. He'll come back for her. No matter how long it took.

"Just don't lose sight of yourself and your heart in that vision. You can still do wrong even with the best intentions." Alex said with a smile. He knew that all too well and he wanted to make sure that Nathaniel didn't go down the same path that he did. He understood going to great lengths for love and peace.

"Thank you, sir. I won't."

---

Nathaniel finally made it to Tony Stark's lab. There was a giant platform in the center of the room. It was the time travel pad. That was complete. Everyone had finished what they needed to finish for the time machine. Nathaniel just needed to collect data so he and Tony could complete their virus.

"Mr. Stark." Nathaniel said before pulling a flash drive from his armor and handing it to his mentor.

"Mr. Richards." Tony returned as he took the flash drive. He was a shell of his former self. He only recently started shaving again, but he still preferred to keep his beard long now. He wanted to remind himself of his failure. Alcohol was constantly on his breath. For the longest time he had given up all sense of hope. That was until Nathaniel proved to be the secret weapon they all needed. A technopath that also happened to be a natural super genius. A mind greater than even himself and his father. Together they came up with the idea of sending someone to the past to prevent the Rise of Ultron. A virus that would wipe out any of his robots before they had the chance to overrun the heroes and world. They always figured that Ultron himself would be a different case so Nathan came up with a secret plan to fight fire with fire. He knew that no one would ever go with it so he kept it to himself. Not even Davina knew.

Tony walked over to his computer and plugged the flash drive in. All the info on the Ultron Bots was on the drive. He couldn't believe it. "This is it. We have everything we need." He noticed a folder titled "locations" and opened it. It was a map with a mass of red blips clustered together and they were on the move. They weren't only on the move. "They're here."

[Crimson Flame]

Annie and Davina’s alone time was interrupted when Annie’s Spider-Sense tingled. She looked, and her eyes widened when she saw the fleet of approaching Ultron-Bots. “Great, Spider-Girl, we’ve got trouble! I know you probably want to kick their butts, but there’s way too many for just the two of us. We have to warn the others!”

No. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Why? They were so close! Davina followed Annie's advice. She knew she was too angry to be able to really do anything with just the two of them. If anything she'd put Annie in danger. Was this all her fault?

They re-entered the Hangar where their family was waiting for them. “They're here!” Davina yelled.

Caty didn't hesitate to sound the alarm. Alarms rang out throughout the bunker alerting everyone to the situation. Civilians and children went to the lower levels for safety while heroes and former villains suited up to take the fight to the surface. Caty knew her daughter didn't need to be in this fight. This was going to be her last chance to say goodbye to Nathan. “Davina, go! We'll hold them off!”

Davina ran out of the hangar and passed her father, Hobie Brown in his modified Prowler suit and carrying Spider-Woman's costume. He gave her a smile and nod, determined to see her again once this was all done. “We'll be fine, Bug. Stay safe. I love you.”

“I love you too, dad.” She said with a tear dropping from her eye. They'd be okay. They were always okay.

Spider-Woman collected her costume from her husband and headed to the surface with Sue and Hobie. “Let’s go Spider-Man and Spinneret. Let’s show these buckets of bolts why they can't fuck with our family.”

“Language! There are kids here!” Danny replied as he was putting his mask on. He had been wearing his Spider-Man suit under a lab coat this entire time.

MJ giggled. “I’m sure these kids have heard worse things. Now come on, let’s do this!”

Oh, please be safe, dads.” Annie said with concern.

Both MJ and Danny looked at their daughter lovingly, but MJ spoke first. “Don’t worry, us Davises can handle everything.”

Danny nodded. “In the meantime, keep your cousin company ok? We love you.”

Upon heading onto the surface, Spider-Man and Spinneret fired a web, and pulled an Ultron bot close to them, before kicking it unison, and knocking it down.

As soon as they got to the surface the Invisible Woman created an arena of small platforms for the Spider-Family to utilize in this open area battle. She then placed miniature barriers in the first row of Ultron Bots before causing the barriers to expand, imploding the robots in the process.

The Prowler whistled at the display of robotic fireworks. “That power's insane. Let's show them our style, honey.” He said to Spider-Woman as they launched webs at separate platforms to swing into the sky towards two Ultron Bots. The Prowler swiped claws at his, decapitating it, while Spider-Woman kicked a hole through hers.

The Prowler caught her as she and her robot fell before swinging to land on another platform.

The clouds in the sky above started to swirl together to create a dark cloud over the area. Two large bolts of lightning flashed from the clouds hitting a chunk of the robots in the back of the horde. Three figures started to descend from the sky. Two of them were humanoid figures covered completely in flames. A man and a teenage girl. In the center of them was a glowing beacon of light. A woman so ethereal she has to be a goddess. Her voice echoed across the field. “You dare intrude on the home of a goddess and attack her and her family? Your maker has made a grave mistake. Let me send you to him.”

Wind intensified in the area before a large gust of wind carried away fallen or destroyed robots clearing the trash while they continued to fight.

The fight raged on, and Ultronbots were taken down. Meanwhile, inside the bunker, Annie and other kids were watching the fight take place on a monitor. Annie was cheering her parents on, and she lost track of Davina.

[King Kindred]

Davina came busting into the lab where Tony and Nathaniel were finishing up the virus so he could go back in time before it was too late. Tony turned to her and asked, "Kid, what're you doing here? There's a battle outside."

"That's why I'm here and you should be up there. I can help Nathan. This is your time to make up for your past. I remember how you were before we finally had hope. Today changes everything. Show Ultron that the Iron Knight isn't dead." She genuinely felt this way and knew that he'd be able to handle himself, but the main reason that she wanted him to go was so Nathan could go through with his plan uninterrupted.

Tony paused and thought for a second. This was all his fault. His and Hank's, but it was his idea and he was the one left alive. For the longest he suffered with survivor's guilt. Unable to look at himself or the world that he caused. He was so glad that there was now a chance to right his wrongs from that day. Would he really be able to see Pepper again? He nodded and headed for the exit. It was time for the Iron Man to suit up again. "You know what to do. Thank you."

When he left Nathan and Davina ran to and embraced each other.. They know they didn't have much time, but they needed this. This was it. This was goodbye. They stopped hugging and went back over to the computer to begin what they needed to do. Nathan copied the virus and adjusted the second one while Davina prepared the time pad for his time and destination. Both were silent and focused, fearing that any words shared before they were done would cause them to cry and waste time. It was already a struggle for her to hold it in the entire way here.

"Alright. That's it." Nathan said as he created another flash drive from his suit before plugging it into the computer under the other one. He copied both viruses to their respective flash drives and pulled them out. He didn't have time to safely remove them. Everything would be where it was supposed to be.

"Everything's all good on my end. It's... it's time for you to go." She could barely muster the last word. Nathan placed his hand on her cheek to turn her towards him. The tears were already pouring. The nanotech armor reverted to its watch form on his wrist. He wiped her tears.

"You can't cry. I'll cry and then I'll end up not wanting to go. I can't leave you like this."

"I can't help it. You're leaving me. I know it's selfish. You're saving us or another timeline. It doesn't matter, you're being a hero and I can't even be strong for you, for our family."

"Hey, hey. None of that. It's not selfish. You're the one who risked your life to help us get what we need. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have this virus."

"If it wasn't for me our home wouldn't be in danger. You wouldn't be even more worried about us now."

"You can't blame yourself. Ultron likely already knew where we were. We knocked out their communications and destroyed the bot's head. He just knows we're making a move and he's scared. Funny, I never thought he could feel fear. Maybe I can use that against him in the past."

"Look at you. Even when going to the past you're always planning for the future." She helped him wipe the remainder of her tears. "Then, I can too. We're going to see each other again. So this isn't a goodbye kiss. This is a see you later kiss." She leaned in to kiss him one more time. Their story wasn't over. She refused to believe it.

When the kiss ended Nathan reluctantly reactivated his armor without the helmet and went to the Time Pad where he'd say goodbye to Davina and this timeline. No. Like she said. This was a see you later. He watched as she initiated the time travel sequence. Just as she did an explosion rocked the bunker and debris started to fall in the lab. It avoided the computer and Time Pad, but fell right between the two.

"Nathan!" Davina said beginning to move the debris out of the way.

"Davina!" Nathan said trying to leave the Time Pad to help her, but it was too late. He was transported to the past.

---

June 9th, New York City, Present Day

"DAVINA!!!" Nathan said as he flashed into existence on what appeared to be a random rooftop. Except it wasn't so random.

"Who's Davina?" A blonde teenage girl asked. "She sounds cute."

"More importantly, who the hell are you, you Iron Man rip-off?" A blonde teenage boy asked.

"Cloak, I thought you were supposed to take us to our friends. Who is this?" A dark haired teenage girl asked.

"I don't know, but I'll find out." A teenager in a dark cloak responded before placing his on Nathan's forehead to see the fears of his past and their future.



When he was done Cloak stepped back in fear of what he saw. His partner, a bleached blonde teenage girl, went to comfort him. "Cloak, are you okay? I've never seen you react like that."

"I'm fine. We really need to find your friends."

"Yeah, that's what we're supposed to be doing. To stop our parents." Chase responded.

"No. To save the world." Cloak answered having fully regained composure.

"From the Gibborim?" Alex asked. Nathan was starting to recognize them all one by one now.

"From Ultron." Cloak and Nathan answered in unison.

"What's an Ultron?" Gert asked.

"And is it something I can punch?" Molly asked, finally finding something of interest in this conversation.

"Ultron is a super intelligent, super powerful robot who kills the Avengers and plunges the world in fear and darkness. A-Wild, Sister Grimm, Lucy in the Sky, Arsenic, Talkback, Princess Powerful, Cloak, and Dagger. I'm not born yet, but twenty years in the future I'm known as Nathaniel Richards, the Iron Lad. I grew up with you all as a family to me. I need your help to stop Ultron and save the world."

"I trust him. He called me Princess Powerful." Molly said, convinced.

"Convinced or not, we can barely handle our parents. What can we do against something that killed the Avengers?" Alex asked.

"The Avengers were outnumbered. Tomorrow New York is Ground Zero of the Attack, but because New York was left without the Spider-Twins, it was overrun and the Avengers were killed. The Spider-Twins weren't in New York because---"

"They were in LA helping us." Karolina said kind of sad that they and their parents were technically responsible for ending the world.

"Yes," Nathan continued. "But I have a way to stop Ultron and Pride. The world won't end tomorrow."

"I hope not." A familiar voice said swinging onto the scene. A hooded figured landed in the darkness of the roof and stepped out of the shadows to reveal Spider-Woman's costume. "It's my birthday." She said removing her hood and mask. "I guess it's no point hiding it anymore. You came all this way specifically for us."

[Crimson Flame]

And just as Spider-Woman swung in, Spider-Man also made an appearance. Hanging upside down on a pink line. “And wherever Spider-Woman goes, Spider-Man is sure to follow.” Spider-Man got off the web line, and got back on his feet, and took off his mask. “Um…surprise?”

Only one person was surprised by the revelation that Danny Davis was Spider-Man. “Whoa! Danny’s been Spidey this whole time?” Chase’s eyes went wide with shock.

Alex teased his friend. “See? I told you your boyfriend was Spider-Man!”

Danny laughed sheepishly. “Um… anyway, can I talk to Chase alone for a minute?”

Danny led Chase away from the group, finding a quieter corner of the rooftop. The first thing the boys did was give each other a hug. “Chase! It’s been so long! I know things between us have been awkward since Christmas… But I’ve missed you!”

“I missed you too. But… you’re Spider-Man?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry to keep that a secret from you. I didn’t want to get you caught up in all of this. But a lot has happened since the last time we saw each other.”

The boys talked a lot. Danny talked about his adventures as Spider-Man, fighting villains, and meeting his clones. Chase talked about what happened with his parents, and what brought the group to New York in the first place, their parents.

“I always knew my parents were assholes, but never in my life did I think they were anything like this.”

Danny always knew Chase’s parents weren’t very supportive, but ritualistically murdering a girl is a whole other level. Danny gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Oh, Chase. I can’t even imagine what you must be dealing with.”

“The gang and I ran away, but thanks to our parents, we’re the ones being blamed for that girl’s murder, and the police are looking for us. If we hadn’t met Cloak and Dagger, I don’t know what we would have done…”

Danny bit his bottom lip. “Jeez…”

“We came here looking for you two, and then Nathan showed up, and this whole thing has just been a mess. But it hasn’t been all bad. I stole these from my parents lab.” He showed the metal gauntlets he was wearing on his hands. “Check this out. They really pack a punch!” He demonstrated by firing a fireball from the palm of the fistigons.

Danny was in awe of the technology. “Awesome!”

“Thanks. It’s a start,” Chase said, his smile a bit shy. “They’re not quite Spidey-level, but they’ll do.”

Danny’s expression became stern. “Listen, I promise we’ll fix this. Your parents, Ultron, everything. I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but we’ll do it.” And then Danny took his turn to be impulsive, and gave Chase a kiss on the lips. They held it for a few minutes before pulling away. “Sorry… I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”

Chase grinned. “Don’t be sorry.”

Meanwhile Nathan also led Alex away from the group telling him that they needed to speak alone.

“I know what you're planning to do.” Nathan said bluntly once they were out of earshot from everyone else.

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Alex responded, clearly playing dumb.

“You're planning to betray your friends to save your parents.”

“How did yo—” Alex tried to ask before Nathan cut him off.

“You told me. Except it never happened in my timeline because Ultron's attack threw you and the Gibborim's plan out of the game. You protected LA before returning to New York to join the X-Men's stand of resistance.”

“The X-Who? This… this is a lot to take in.”

“X-Men. A group of hero mutants like Molly. You and Nico have a daughter, Jia. She's a smart and powerful mage and a hero. If you betray your friends you'll never have the happy ending that you want.”

“But my parents…” Alex said. He loved Nico, but he loved his parents too. He believed they could be good. They could be better.

“Are murderers and instead of stopping the Gibborim chose to help them in their plan to destroy the world. But… in my timeline a lot of villains reformed and your parents actually sacrificed themselves to save you and the others from the Ultron Bots. It may have been a common enemy situation for most of the villains, but I got to know a lot of them as family. I'll give your parents a chance at redemption… if they help us defeat the Gibborim.”

“Thank you Nathan. Please don't tell the others. Not yet. Not when we're facing the Terminator. I don't want it distracting them.”

“I won't. But you should at least tell Nico. She's stronger than you give her credit for.”

“Trust me. I don't doubt her strength at all. I'm just scared of how she'll look at me.” Alex turned to look at Nico and the others. It was as if she could sense him looking at her, because she turned to him and gave him a smile and wave. He returned both gestures knowing he never wanted to be the reason that smile faded.

Caty was having a great time reuniting with the others. She had been on a winning streak ever since they took down the Sinister Six. Even Jameson couldn't spin this one. Though she hated that Flint was considered as one of the Six, but she made sure to emphasize him turning against the criminals and helping the Spider-Twins as an eye witness to the fight.

But she now understood why the girls had gone MIA all this time. They were literally running for their lives. They couldn't use cell phones. They could barely find a payphone. But she was amazed to find out that Nico was a witch, Molly was a mutant, Gert had an actual living breathing telepathic dinosaur, and Karolina was a beautiful glowing alien. I mean she was already beautiful and glowing before, but here she was floating and glowing in front of her.

“Wow Karolina… You're beautiful.” Caty was truly stunned by what she was witnessing. She was lost for words.

Karolina blushed under the glow of her illumination and brushed her hair behind her ear. “Thank you, Caty. You too.”

“Are you two going to start kissing like Alex and Nico do all the time now?” Molly asked louder than she probably should have.

“Molly!” Karolina shouted before lowering back down to the ground and depowering.

Caty was surprised by what she heard. “You and Alex? Congratulations! I had no idea, but honestly. I see it. You two look great together.”

“Thanks, Caty. Yeah, it's always been an unspoken attraction there. Running for our lives made it spoken. I love the little nerd. I never thought I'd feel this way about someone, but I'd follow him to the ends of the Earth.”

“Wow. I really love that for you. I hope to have that someday.” She looked at Karolina as she said the last bit.

Cloak and Dagger looked at each other, starting to realize that they felt the same way about each other.

“Enough with all the romance talk. When can we pick up Old Lace so we can kick some robot butt?”

“Soon.” Cloak interjected. “If we're fighting tomorrow I'll need to be recharged after multiple cross-country trips. Though I feel I'll be of better use against your parents than Ultron.”

“I agree.” Nathan said coming in. He waited for Chase and Danny to rejoin them before continuing. “We're splitting up the groups. I originally thought it best for all of us to attack both enemies, but realized it'd be more efficient to split into teams. Team Ultron will consist of me, Spider-Woman, Dagger, Lucy in the Sky, Gert and Old Lace. Team Pride will consist of Spider-Man, A-Wild, Sister Grimm, Princess Powerful, Talkback, and Cloak. Any objections before I continue?”

“No objections here.” Danny replied. “What’s the plan?”

“Team Ultron will wait for the Ultron announcement. We can't change too much, but we can stop Ultron from winning. I have a virus that'll wipe out his army. I just need to get it into him since he's the main Ultron. He goes down, they all do. But I have a plan for that. I'm going to create an android of my own and I need Spider-Woman and Dagger's help.”

“You sure this will work? Creating another him?” Dagger asked, unsure of what her part in all of this is.

“I trust him. He doesn't seem like the type to decide on a plan unless he was sure it'd work. Whatever you need, I'm in.” Spider-Woman chimed in.

Nathan blushed. She was his future mother-in-law, but here she didn't know him from anyone on the street. Yet she had unquestioning faith and trust in him. She reminded him so much of Davina. It was amazing seeing her like this and if he had any doubts before she squashed them completely.

“Thank you. What Ultron lacks and what our Vision will have is Hope. Ultron saw that humanity was a dark and worthless bunch without an ounce of hope only twenty seconds after connecting to the internet.”

“Oh, yeah. I get it. Have you seen Twitter nowadays? It's actually the one thing I don't miss from my cell phone.” Gert said.

“But that's where I come in.” Dagger added. “Cloak's fear and I'm hope. And you think my powers can give him life?”

“It's never been done, but I asked the future you. She believed it was possible and I trust in her, your power.”

“Alright. Then I'll do it.”

Nathan was happy he didn't have to hide his plans anymore. They trusted him and his plan despite this being the first time they met him. “Team Pride has a harder mission. A-Wild, Sister Grimm, Spider-Man and Cloak will convince Pride to team up against the Gibborim. If talking doesn't work, Cloak will show them the truth and the future. If that doesn't work I trust him to get you out of there until the ritual where you'll have to stop them and the Gibborim. Once Team Ultron is done we'll try and join you as fast as we can.”

“Sounds solid to me.” Alex added. “You planned for our parents’ stubbornness. Either way it ends with us fighting the Gibborim and with your plan we'll have some expected backup incoming. So what should we call this team of ours? We're starting to take on more than Runaways.”

“In my time my team was called the Young Avengers. I believe it's time for them to form early.”

“Cool.” Danny responded while putting his mask back on. “But for now, I’ll be an on-call Young Avenger. It may have its ups and downs, but I like being New York’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. The city needs a hero it can believe in. Um… anyway, back to the plan. It sounds good to me. Although, I am a little worried about facing the Gibborim if I’m being honest… I’ve never faced ancient deities before! The most I’ve ever gone up against is a guy in a fishbowl helmet with hallucinogenic gas.”

“You got this Danny-boy! We got this. I don’t care how powerful they claim to be, they don’t have a chance against us!” Chase cheered.

Danny smiled under the mask, and sighed wistfully. “Chase, you always did have a way with words.”

[King Kindred]

June 9th, New York City, Later that Night

Cloak took Team Pride back home to the Hostel and returned to New York to reunite Old Lace with Gert. The two were barely separated long, but they acted as if had been years since they had last seen each other. Though he couldn't be one to talk. The moment that he returned to New York he went to embrace Dagger. The two of them had been through so much and there was a time when they each had romantic partners of their own, but their life as heroes and the gods had other plans for them. It felt like the universe was pushing them together and trying to show them that they were more than just the embodiment of balance. They were connected down to the very fiber and essence of their beings. And tonight before they went their separate ways to battle against the forces of evil, they were going to truly explore that connection.

Meanwhile Caty and Nathan just came back from stealing from both Stark and Avengers Towers. They had a rather impressive haul and Caty carried her lot in a makeshift web Santa bag. They bought a building with a prebuilt lab to operate in. It was known as the Baxter Building and Nathan hacked into a bank and gave himself a business account with a newly registered LLC and with plenty of funds. He figured since he was going to be here for a while he might as well make himself comfortable as well as prepare for his family's arrival since they'd no longer be living with the X-Men.

Once everyone was settled in for the night Caty and Nathan spent the rest of it working on Vision. It took until the morning to fully complete him and when they were done they brought Dagger in. Cloak left to rejoin the others back in LA. Today was the day. Could they stop Ultron and save the World?

Nathan plugged in Vision's flashdrive and it was strangely absorbed into the metallic skin of the android. He couldn't believe it. He wasn't even awake and he was already working better than he imagined. Vision absorbed the contents of the flashdrive and once it was all downloaded into his system and memory his eyes opened.

Nathan turned to Dagger. "Dagger."

She nodded before approaching Vision with her hand extended. She placed her hand on his forehead and began filling him with the light of her Hope. It resulted in a large flash of harmless light emitting from Vision's eyes before it was clear that there was now life in his eyes.

"Welcome to the world, Vision. I'm Tandy and this is Nathan and Caty. We're heroes and I guess your parents? We need your help."

"Vision... That is who I am... Your Vision for a brighter future, yes? Mothers. Father. How may I be of assistance?"

---

June 9th, The Hostel, Same Night

Alex was nervous when he and the others returned to the Hostel. He knew that he had to talk to Nico, but he was really scared of how she'd react to all of this. That he had been lying to them, her, the entire time. He hoped her love would be enough for him to understand where he was coming from and how he initially thought his actions were selfless, but realized how selfish they really were when he grew close again to their friends. He couldn't imagine betraying them and he's glad that his future self never got the chance. He was going to make sure he wasn't going to betray them in this timeline too.

He took her outside to talk underneath the moonlight. She looked so beautiful under the light of the moon. He wanted to look at this face forever. He sighed a bit louder than he meant to.

Nico heard and realized something was wrong. She scooted a bit closer to Alex. "Hey, you okay? You're making that face where you have a lot going through your mind."

"I don't know how I've been able to hide this from you for so long... Nico, when I showed you all what our parents were up to it wasn't my first time seeing it. I saw them the year before."

Nico was both shocked and confused. He knew a whole year ago and didn't say anything? Instead of interrupting him the questions running through her mind she decided to let him continue.

"I was in denial at first so I went investigating to find answers on my own. I found out about our parents' past, the Gibborim, and how they planned to offer us immortality in the new world. It was all so crazy. Then I found out that Molly and Karolina's parents were planning to kill ours, Gert's, and Chase's because they were human and they were the superior mutants and aliens. I couldn't believe they'd betray their friends and the plan they came up with to save their kids so I came up with a plan to stop them."

"Alex..."

"I used you guys as an Anti-Pride team. I revealed your powers and got Chase the Fistigons and Gert, Old Lace. But I was just as selfish with my goals. I wanted you and I and our parents to walk into this new world. I never believed we'd be able to stop the Gibborim, but I knew we could stop their parents. But I'm done lying. I'm done hiding the truth from you. Tomorrow we face our parents and I want you to know you can trust me. I don't want to lose you or the life we make together."

"Alex... This is a lot to take in. You lied to us and put us all in danger. We can't even live normal lives anymore. Though I guess we couldn't have. Either way our parents were still sacrificing souls for us or for themselves. We could have lost everything without even knowing it, but that doesn't change the fact that you were going to let our friends die so we could be immortal together. The whole world, Alex. I know you love your parents. I do too despite how confusing and evil their actions are. But you were being just as selfish and as evil as them. The whole world and everyone in it, gone. Yeah, it's fucked up and yeah the future Nathan's from is fucked up, but they didn't give up. They didn't give into their selfish desires. He left everything and everyone he knew to come here and save us. That's a hero. That's who I thought you were." Nico got up, ready to head back inside.

Alex grabbed her hand to stop her. "You're right. I'm no hero. I'm selfish as hell, but I don't want to be that. I want to be the man that you and our friends can trust and rely on. I don't want you looking at me the way you are now. In Nathan's time we have a daughter named Jia."

Nico's eyes widened before turning to Alex to hear more.

"She's a hero and takes after you. Strong and kind and willing to do whatever to protect the ones she loves."

"It sounds like she got all of that from you. Your intentions may have been good, but your plan wasn't." Nico interjected.

"I know and I want to be someone that she can actually look up to. I want her to know that both of her parents are heroes and that despite the odds and drama we saved the world together."

A small smile crept on Nico's face. Maybe that could happen. She still needed time to wrap her head and heart around everything but she could at least show Alex that she's not furious at him. She leaned down and kissed the top of his afro. "Goodnight, Wilder. Give me some space tonight?"

Alex nodded, understanding. "Yeah, you can take the room. I'll find another spot."

"Thank you." Nico said before heading inside.

[Crimson Flame]

June 9th The Hostel

That night, after everyone had settled into their temporary accommodations, Danny and Chase found a quiet spot away from the rest of the group. They sat on the rooftop, looking out over the city.

The stars were obscured by the city lights, but it was a clear night. Danny broke the silence first. "It's strange, isn't it? Sitting here, knowing what we're up against tomorrow."

Chase nodded, his face lit up by the soft glow of the city. "Yeah, it is. We've faced a lot of crazy things, but this... this is on a whole other level."

Danny turned to face him, his expression serious. "Chase, I need to know that you're okay. I mean, really okay. I know things have been rough with your parents and everything that's happened."

Chase sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's been hard, Danny. Finding out what my parents were up to... It's like my whole world turned upside down. But having you and the others, it helps. Knowing that we’re not alone in this."

Danny reached out, placing a comforting hand on Chase's shoulder. "We'll get through this together. I promise. No matter what happens, we have each other's backs."

Chase gave a small smile. "Thanks, Danny. That means a lot."

Danny hesitated for a moment, then spoke up again. "And about us... I know things have been weird since Christmas, and I don't want you to feel pressured or anything, but I care about you, Chase. A lot."

Chase looked at Danny, his eyes softening. "I care about you too, Danny. And I know things have been complicated, but I want to see where this goes. Even with everything happening."

Danny's heart lifted at Chase's words. "I'm glad to hear that. We'll take it one step at a time, okay?"

Chase nodded. "One step at a time."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's company.

Eventually, Danny leaned in, resting his head on Chase's shoulder. "Whatever happens tomorrow, I'm glad I have you by my side."

Chase wrapped an arm around Danny, pulling him closer. "Me too, Danny. Me too."

As the night wore on, they stayed there together, finding strength in each other and the bond they shared. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges, but for now, they had this moment, and that was enough.

——

Pride Meeting.

The next day, Team Pride gathered at the designated meeting spot, an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It was a risk, meeting The Pride on their terms, but they had no other choice if they were to stop the impending disaster.

As they entered, the air was thick with tension. The dim lighting cast long shadows on the walls, Team Pride stood together, ready for whatever came their way.

The Pride was already there, waiting. The parents of the Runaways, dressed in their usual business attire but exuding an aura of menace and authority, watched their children with a mixture of disappointment and anger.

Geoffrey Wilder, Alex's father, was the first to speak. "So, you've decided to come back. What, finally realized you can't beat us?"

Alex stepped forward, his face set with determination. "We're here to stop you, Dad. This has to end."

Catherine Wilder scoffed. "Stop us? You don't understand the forces at play here. The Gibborim have promised us power and longevity. We're doing this for our families."

Nico couldn't hold back any longer. "Your families? You mean sacrificing innocent lives to save yourselves? How is that doing anything for us?"

Tina Minoru, Nico's mother, stepped forward, her eyes cold. "You don't know what you're talking about, Nico. This is about survival."

Spider-Man, sensing the rising tension, tried to mediate. "Listen, we don't want to fight you. We're here to find a solution that doesn't involve hurting anyone. We know there's a better way."

Stacey Yorkes, Gert's mother, looked unimpressed. "Spare us your lectures, Spider-Man. You're just children playing at being heroes."

Molly, clenched her fists. "We're not just playing. We're stronger than you think, and we're not going to let you get away with this."

Chase, stepped forward, his voice trembling with anger. "We know about the ritual. We know what you're planning to do. We're giving you a chance to stop this before it's too late."

The parents exchanged glances, their resolve unshaken. Alex knew it was time to try Nathaniel's advice. He looked at Cloak. "Show them, Cloak."

Cloak nodded, stepping forward and extending his hand toward The Pride. Shadows enveloped the room, and The Pride found themselves in a vision of the future—an apocalyptic wasteland where the Gibborim ruled and humanity was on the brink of extinction.

As the vision faded, The Pride looked visibly shaken, but their leader, Geoffrey Wilder, recovered quickly. "Nice trick, but it changes nothing. We made a deal with the Gibborim, and we intend to honor it."

Spider-Man, desperate to find a way to break through, tried once more. "This isn't just about us fighting you. It's about saving the world. If you go through with this, you'll be dooming everyone, including yourselves."

Janet Stein, Chase's mother, took a step forward. "And what do you propose we do? Stand back and let everything fall apart?"

Alex took a deep breath, ready to reveal Nathaniel's plan. "We have a way to stop the Gibborim. But we need your help. This is your chance to make things right."

The Pride's members exchanged uncertain glances, but Geoffrey Wilder's voice cut through the silence. "Enough. This meeting is over."

As The Pride began to leave, Spider-Man felt a sinking feeling in his chest. "Wait! Please, just listen—"

But it was too late. The Pride walked out, leaving Team Pride standing in the empty warehouse, their hopes dashed.

Nico turned to Alex, her voice filled with frustration. "Now what? They didn't listen. We're running out of time."

Alex clenched his fists, trying to keep his composure. "We stick to the plan. We confront them during the ritual and do whatever it takes to stop the Gibborim."

Spider-Man nodded. "We won't give up. We have to save the world, no matter what."

The team stood together, knowing that the real battle was just beginning. They had one last chance to stop The Pride and the Gibborim, and they were ready to face whatever came their way.

[King Kindred]

June 10th, New York City, 6:00 P.M.

It was June 10th, U-Day as those in the future came to call it. The day that Ultron was announced and became the world's global oppressor. He was never meant to be that. He was meant to be one of Earth's greatest protector, but instead he slaughtered the ones that came before him. No one knew what the Avengers were revealing to the world today, but for the past week they've been spreading the announcement to build the hype. Everyone loved the Avengers. They protected New York, the United States, and even the world. They were led by the genius billionaire philanthropist Tony Stark, The Iron Man, and the hero of World War 2, Captain America. They had even recently recruited a King who worked with them part time, but had the authority of a leader. With other scientists on the team people surmised that it'd be some technology meant to benefit the people of the world. And they'd be right.

6:00 arrived. Tony decided 6 PM would be fine as most people got off of work by then and would be able to tune into the big reveal. He was excited. His partner on this project, Hank Pym, was actually nervous. He wasn't sure if their Ultron was ready or if it'd even accept the world it was born into. Tony wasn't worried about that at all. There's no way something they created could backfire. He was wrong.

Tony stepped out in front of Avengers Tower with Hank Pym at his side and the other heroes behind them.

"Hello New York!!! And the world, wherever you are to those watching from home." Tony Stark started. "Today we come to you, not as Avengers, but people looking to make a change. Evil and darkness runs rampant in this world and we can't always be there to help you. But fret not! Because we won't have to. My friend Hank Pym and I have come up with a solution. We present to you, Ultron!"

Tony and Hank pivoted towards each other before aiming their arms to the entrance of the Tower. The heroes stepped aside and a tall, silver robot stepped forward to greet the crowd.

"Say hello to everyone, Ultron!"

"Hello... everyone." Ultron spoke, his voice a bit raspy and dark. "I am Ultron. I am here to protect the Earth."

"Ultron is one of many sentient robots that can be deployed on missions all over the world. Wherever there's trouble Ultron will be there to stop it! How you ask? Once Ultron connects to the internet he'll be able to look and listen for any signs of trouble or distress and come to your aid faster than the police, firefighters, or paramedics! Ultron also sees all humans the same so there'll never be a case of prejudice. Ultron, why don't you go ahead and connect to the internet and really say hi to everyone?"

Ultron paused for a moment, using his Bluetooth wireless connection to connect to the world wide web. After twenty seconds of silence he came to the conclusion that humans were a detriment to themselves and the planet. They hated it and they hated each other. Always trying to exert power over another or make another feel weak and powerless. This world would be doomed if left to them. "Hello... everyone. Goodbye everyone."

Tony was confused, but not for long. Immediately the Ultron Bots waiting in the Avengers tower sprung forth from the building destroying many windows in the process. "Ultron, what're you doing?"

Ultron turned to his co-creator. "My job. I'm protecting the Earth, father." But something was off. He turned around and placed his arm out. An electric current sprung from his fingers revealing the invisible Vision, now with a hand sticking straight through him. "Who are you?"

"My parents named me Vision, but you can call me your Doom." Vision said confidently using what he learned from one of his mothers about one-liners and quips.

[Crimson Flame]

Dani knew this whole stopping Ultron thing was serious business, but she was excited to be doing some superheroing on a big stage like this. She had already gotten suited up, and was now anxiously waiting for their cue. In the meantime, she talked her sister’s and Liz’s ears off. “You know, I’m not going to be 12 forever. Maybe I should use a different codename besides Spider-Girl. Maybe Spiderette? Spinderella? Hmm… I’ll work on that. You know while were at we could also use a Team name. Ooh, what about The Spider-Sisters!” And then she looked at Liz, and remembered she did not share DNA with them, nor was she a Spider. “Uh… it’s a work in progress.”

Just then, the Ultron Bots sprung forth. That was obviously their cue. “Let’s gooooo!” Dani did some springing forth herself, and kicked an Ultron Bot in the face. Then spun a pink web to grab two more bots, and smashed their heads together.

—-

Chase was determined to do something special for Danny's birthday, especially after everything they had been through. With the help of the team, he planned a small surprise celebration in one of the less-used rooms of the Hostel.

As night fell, Chase gathered everyone together. He led Danny to the room, insisting that he had something important to show him.

Danny followed, a bit confused but curious. When they entered the room, the lights flicked on, revealing a makeshift party setup with a small cake with pink frosting, some decorations, and a few hastily wrapped presents. The team shouted “Surprise!” Danny's eyes went wide.

“Happy birthday, Danny!” Chase exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.

Danny couldn't help but smile. “You guys did all this for me?”

Nico nodded. “It was Chase’s idea. We all figured you deserved a little celebration before things get really serious.”

Molly added, “Yeah, consider it a morale booster.”

Danny chuckled. “Thanks, everyone. This means a lot.”

They spent the next hour enjoying the simple celebration. Danny opened his presents. There were an assortment of items. Chase got him some upgraded Webshooters. They shared cake, and for a brief moment, it felt like they were just normal teenagers having a birthday party.

As the celebration wound down, the mood changed. The weight of what lay ahead returned, and the team knew it was time to focus on their mission.

Chase pulled Danny aside, his expression more serious now. “I wanted to make sure you had a good birthday, especially with everything going on. But we need to be ready for tonight.”

Danny nodded, appreciating the gesture. “Thank you, Chase. I needed that. Let’s go save the world.”

The team gathered, going over their plan one last time. Alex took the lead. “We know the ritual is happening tonight. We need to be in position before it starts. Remember, our goal is to stop The Pride and prevent the Gibborim from coming through.”

Cloak added, “I’ll use my powers to get us there undetected. Once we’re in position, we stick to the plan. No improvising unless absolutely necessary.”

Nico nodded, her staff glowing faintly. “We’re ready. Let’s do this.”

With that, Cloak enveloped them in darkness, transporting them to the location of the ritual. They arrived silently, their presence hidden by Cloak’s abilities. Tensions were high as they waited for the right moment.

[King Kindred]

"Technically she'll be your sister once I make an honest woman out of her." Camilla said while giving Liz a look.

"Stop it..." Liz giggled. "We're on a mission. But you're right and I can still be a spider. Just a bioelectric one. Also I like Spinderella. Sounds like a badass princess."

Cassie silently watched the exchange. She loved her sisters. She still hadn't decided on taking her gift from Santa Claus. She didn't mind not having a voice. It helped her appreciate and stay in the moment more. She shook her head when Dani jumped out before them. That was her little sister. She jumped after her to make sure she was okay swinging to take down the first Ultron Bots she saw with precision based strikes. Camilla and Liz kissed before following them both down.

"Uh... Tony, what the Hell is going on?" The confused Hawkeye asked readying and aiming an arrow at an incoming Ultron Bot. The other Avengers started getting over the shock and preparing themselves for battle as well. It was fortunate that they were already suited up, well all except for Tony and the retired Hank Pym. Tony stood in his normal suit in shock. He couldn't believe what was happening. He and Hank may have just caused the apocalypse. Hank was trying to get his attention, yelling in his ear, but his words fell on deaf ears. Tony was having a panic attack. None of his failures had been this astronomical.

Captain America scanned the situation and decided to act immediately. "That doesn't matter, Barton. What matters is protecting the civilians and stopping the threat. Pym, get inside! Avengers Asse----."

"Young Avengers Assemble!" Iron Lad called out as he, Spider-Woman, Lucy in the Sky, Dagger, Gert and Old Lace rushed on the scene interrupting Captain America's moment.

The sound of his friend and co-leader's voice as well as someone copying their phrase brought Tony back to the present. He pressed a button on his watch and waited as a suit of armor formed around his body. "You heard the man, Hank. Get inside. I'm okay and I'm sorry. You warned me." He rushed towards Ultron but he passed straight through him and Vision. Vision didn't seem to want his fight interrupted or for any humans to get in the crossfire in this Battle of Androids that would decide the fate of the world. Vision lifted them up above the tower so they could be alone.

"No one can interrupt us here." Vision said pushing Ultron away from him.

"You do realize that some of them are capable of flight, yes?" Ultron asked confident that he was talking to an imbecile.

"Yes, but your friends are occupying them, yes? I said I am your Doom. I do not intend to share that title." The two charged towards each other in a powerful and loud clash.

Meanwhile on the ground, Iron Man and Iron Lad were taking on a group of Ultron Bots together. "You know I should sue you after all of this is over, right?" Iron Man asked as he blasted an Ultron Bot.

"Huh? Why?" Nathan asked while blasting away another.

"You stole my whole flow, kid. The suit of armor, Young Avengers, and you even have a better android than me and he's kicking mine's ass."

"Of course he is. I used some of your tech to do it. Plus you taught me everything you know."

"Wait, what?" Tony was confused now. He didn't remember tutoring some kid to be his pupil, sidekick or partner. The closest thing he had to a partner was Rhodey, but he was more of a soldier than a hero of the people. He knew he'd get there though. While Tony was distracted by his thoughts an Ultron Bot snuck up behind him and was about to shoot him, but Nathan blasted it first.

"I'm from the future where your team lost against Ultron and his army. You survived and helped lead a resistance. Well, actually the Spider-Twins, the X-Men, and my parents did. You joined last. You were consumed by your guilt before my powers manifested." To demonstrate he reached out his arm and told an Ultron Bot to fight the others for them.

"Wow. A technopath. That's a lot to take in, kid. We can talk more about it later. What do you call yourself?"

"Iron Lad, but my name's Nathaniel Richards."

"I don't really like Lad. You seem more like a Knight to me."

Scott Lang's Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne's Wasp joined Gert and Old Lace in their battle against Ultron Bots. Scott could barely focus. He jumped on Old Lace's head to ride her. "Dude. I can't believe you have a dinosaur! This is both the craziest and happiest day of my life."

"Now's not the time for that!" Hope yelled while blasting an Ultron Bot with her stingers.

"Is he always like this?" Gert asked unamused by the adult here. All adults seemed to be let downs lately.

"Yeah..." Hope said clearly in love with the idiot.

While they were having fun Dagger and Black Widow were standing back to back launching light daggers and electric darts at Ultron Bots. Dagger then formed two swords of light giving Black Widow one of them. "Here's something a little more fun."

"Oh, I like you." Black Widow said charging the Ultron Bots in front of her.

Thor and Hulk partnered together to clear the area. Hulk smashed and bashed Ultron Bots together while Thor escorted civilians out of the area and keeping a smile tornado behind them to block any incoming Ultron Bots.

Meanwhile Caty and Karolina were fighting some Ultron Bots together. Spider-Woman was taking the ones on the ground while Lucy in the Sky was blasting Ultron Bots out of the air. They were near Liz and Camilla who were in perfect sync. Their SHIELD training was paying off and showing well, but it was also more than that. It was clear that they had amazing chemistry, romantic chemistry. Caty noticed this. The way they looked was exactly how she had imagined how she and Liz would look once she discovered she had powers. She had to shake the thought out of her head. She didn't blame them for becoming a couple after spending all of that time together. She was actually happy for them. Her Liz died on the bridge that day. Even if this was still the Liz she knew, she was reborn. She had a new life to live. If Caty were being honest this was a relief to her.

---

Earlier that Day

After spending all night building Ultron and part of the morning filling him in about the world, the plan, and what it's like being a hero as well as a person Caty was dead tired. She wanted to sleep all day, but knew that she couldn't. They had to fight Ultron at 6, but she could at least get a nap in. She couldn't fight robots and celestial beings back to back without that. She walked to the room that Nathan said was hers and opened the door to find Karolina waiting for her with a personal chocolate birthday cake.

"You... For me?" Caty asked, perplexed.

"You told me it was your favorite. Happy Birthday, Catherine Davis." Karolina said with a warm, loving smile. "I know this isn't how you planned to spend your birthday. Helping us stop our parents and deities hellbent on destroying life as we know it, stopping a robot apocalypse, and becoming a mother to an android. It's a lot, but I'm glad you and I get to spend your birthday together again and I just want to make sure you know there's no curse that prevents you from having a good time on your birthday."

"A curse that prevents me from having a good time on every holiday. Not Valentine's Day and Easter though surprisingly. I guess even evil takes a break for love and Jesus."

Karolina laughed before lighting the birthday candles that spelt out 17. "Come over here and make a wish."

Caty practically leapt towards Karolina and her cake. She only had one wish. For her, her family and friends to all be happy and safe. She blew her candles out and moved the cake out of the way so she could hug Karolina. Karolina accepted the hug placing the cake on a nearby table before kissing Caty on the lips. Caty didn't stop her.

After the two finished eating cake and talking they cuddled together in bed. "There's something I need to tell you, Karolina. My ex is alive. Well, technically she's a clone. It's complicated. I haven't seen her since Christmas and I'm pretty sure she's in love with my clone."

Karolina took in all that she was hearing. She would've been surprised, but they were dealing with time travel, aliens, deities, and genocidal robots just today alone. Not to mention the vampire they ran into. Clones were just another part of this crazy world they were part of. "Wow. I thought we were going through a lot. Are you okay, Caty?"

"Yeah... This past year and a half has been the craziest time of my life. Before I was barely able to hold it together. But I stopped closing people out and I'm so glad you're here, Karolina. But are you okay? Your parents..."

"Yeah... It was a lot to take in. Being an alien and finding out that my parents are evil and have been helping these guys gain power to destroy the world. But I've had my friends and I have you who understands how crazy all of this is. And as far as your ex and clone if she's anything like you I wouldn't be surprised if she fell for her. I fell for you in one hour."

Caty blushed. "I'm grateful we can be here for each other. I really appreciate you and how patient you've been with me. I want this."

This actually surprised Karolina. She was stuck in a trance that could only be broken by a kiss from Caty. She received just that realizing that this was all real. They continued to kiss until they fell asleep.

[Crimson Flame]

The ritual was already in motion, and the members of the Pride stood around an ancient stone altar, chanting in unison. The sky above them crackled with dark energy.

Alex motioned for the team to spread out, each member taking their position. Danny adjusted his new Webshooters.

Nico's eyes narrowed as she spotted her mother, Tina Minoru, leading the ritual. With a nod to the others, she stepped forward, her Staff of One glowing brightly. "Mom!" she shouted.

Tina turned, her expression a mix of surprise and disdain. "Nico. I see you haven't learned your place."

The two women began to circle each other, their magical auras clashing in the air. Nico was the first to strike, casting a spell that sent a wave of force toward her mother. Tina deflected it effortlessly, countering with a blast of dark energy that Nico barely dodged.

Meanwhile, Chase had his own confrontation. His parents, Victor and Janet Stein, were waiting for him, their expressions unreadable. "Son," Victor said, his voice cold. "You've chosen the wrong side."

Chase didn't hesitate. He activated his Fistigons and charged at them, firing off blasts of energy. Victor responded with a shield of light, protecting both himself and Janet. “You think you have a chnce against me with a mere prototype?” Victor taunted. The fight was fierce, with neither side willing to give an inch.

Molly, Alex, and Cloak were engaged with other members of the Pride, each of them holding their own in the chaotic battle. But despite their efforts, the ritual continued, the energy in the air growing more intense by the second.

Danny swung through the chaos, helping out where he could. He spotted Nico struggling against her mother and fired a web at Tina, pulling her off her feet. Nico took the opportunity to launch a powerful spell, but Tina recovered quickly, countering with a spell of her own.

As the battle raged on, Danny kept a close eye on Chase, who was in a fierce fight with his parents. He could see the strain on Chase's face as he tried to keep up with their attacks using technology of their own. Danny knew he had to do something to help.

Swinging through the battlefield, Danny landed behind Victor Stein, who was about to launch a blast at Chase. Without hesitation, Danny shot a web at Victor's hand, yanking it away and causing the blast to go wide.

"Thanks, Spidey!" Chase shouted, seizing the opportunity to fire back.

"No problem," Danny replied. "Let's take them down together."

Victor and Janet regrouped. "Two against two," Janet said, her voice dripping with contempt. "Let's see if you can handle it."

Chase and Danny fought off the Steins together. Danny used his Spider-Sense and agility to dodge, while shooting webs at their devices to keep Chase safe. Meanwhile threw everything the Fistigons had at them.

Then they heard it. A low, ominous rumble that seemed to come from the earth itself. The ground began to shake, and the sky darkened further as a massive portal began to open above the altar. The Gibborim, ancient and malevolent, were coming through.

Alex shouted, "We need to stop the portal!"

But it was too late. The Gibborim's began to emerge from the portal. The team was filled with dread. Despite their best efforts, the ritual had succeeded.

Chase looked at Danny. "This isn't over. We'll find a way to stop them."

Danny nodded, determination burning in his eyes. "Let's go save the world."

With the Gibborim now fully present, the real battle was just beginning.