Chase blinked, stepping out of the ruins of the lab he’d just escaped and suddenly finding himself in a place he hadn’t expected—back in school.
The fluorescent lights flickered above, and the sound of laughter echoed down the corridors. Chase felt a knot form in his stomach as he walked down the hall, not sure why he was back here.
And then, his heart sank when he saw Danny, pinned against the lockers by none other than Skyler.
Danny looked like a shadow of himself, younger, smaller, with fear in his eyes. It was a look Chase had never seen on Danny’s face since they became close. Skyler and his group of friends taunted and laughed, as if time had rewound and Danny was trapped in his worst nightmare.
Skyler sneered, raising his fist. “You’re still just a loser, Danny. Always will be. You couldn’t even save your dad.”
For a moment, Chase’s mind flashed back to his own nightmare. He knew exactly what Danny was feeling right now. And there was no way he was going to let this play out.
Chase’s blood boiled as he watched Skyler taunt Danny, his cruel words cutting deeper than any punch. The sight of Danny, so vulnerable and terrified, made something snap inside Chase.
Without thinking, Chase charged forward, his Fistigons activating as he slammed into Skyler, sending him flying across the hallway. Skyler crashed into a row of lockers with a loud clang, his gang scattering in shock.
“Back off!” Chase growled.
And yet, Skyler didn’t seem phased at all. “Big move hero boy.” Skyler taunted as he got back up.
“Hero boy, huh?” Chase shot back. “Better that than a coward like you, Skyler.”
Danny, was still pressed against the lockers, still looking terrified.
Skyler cracked his knuckles, stepping forward with a wicked grin. “You think you can save him? Just because you’re here doesn’t change what he is. He’s weak. He’s nothing.” And then Skyler’s voice became more sinister. “That boy has so much torment inside of him, it’s amusing really. I can get so much power from one boy.”
Chase became aware that this was not just some high school bully. Something far more dangerous was at work here. As if being trapped in a nightmare wasn’t the first giveaway.
“Who are you?” Chase growled, stepping in front of Danny protectively. His Fistigons hummed with energy, ready for a fight. “You’re not Skyler.”
The creature wearing Skyler’s face let out a chilling laugh, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light. “Oh, you finally caught on,” it sneered, its voice a mix of Skyler’s and something demonic. “I’m not Skyler. I am the embodiment of his cruelty, his malice, all the things that broke your little friend here. I am Nightmare.”
“Danny’s not broken.” Chase spat. “Not anymore.”
The creature tilted its head, amused. “Oh, but he is. You think he’s strong because he puts on a mask and plays hero? Underneath it all, he’s still the same scared little boy who couldn’t save his father. And he knows it.”
Danny’s gasped at the mention of his dad, his body still frozen against the lockers. The memories of that day—of losing his father because of his own mistake—still haunted him, and the creature knew exactly how to twist the knife.
“I’ve had enough of this!” Chase growled. “You don’t get to mess with him. Not now, not ever.”
Nightmare’s grin only widened. “But it’s so easy.” He purred. “All I have to do is remind him of the truth—that deep down, he knows he’s not a hero. He’s a failure. And you… you think you can save him? You’re just as broken as he is, with your daddy issues.”
Chase flinched at the mention of his father but didn’t let it distract him. He wasn’t going to let Nightmare get into his head. This wasn’t about him. It was about Danny. He glanced over his shoulder at Danny, who was still staring at the ground, trembling, the weight of his past suffocating him.
“Danny.” Chase said, his voice gentler now. “Don’t listen to him. This isn’t real. You’ve already faced your past. You’ve saved more people than you can count. This? This is just another fight, and you’re Spider-Man.”
But Danny wasn’t moving. The words weren’t reaching him. His eyes were glazed over, trapped in the memory of losing his father, of not being able to save him.
Nightmare laughed, enjoying the scene. “See? You’re wasting your breath. He’ll never be free of his guilt. You both know it.”
Chase’s heart pounded in his chest. He had to do something to reach Danny, to pull him out of this nightmare before it consumed him. Nightmare was feeding off Danny’s fear and guilt, but Chase knew that deep down, Danny was stronger than this. He just needed to break through the haze that was trapping him.
“Danny!” Chase shouted, full of emotion. “You’re not that kid anymore! You’ve faced bigger threats than this! You’ve stood up to villains who could destroy the world, and you’re telling me that this bully is gonna beat you?”
Danny flinched at Chase’s words, his eyes flickering as if trying to come back to the present. But the grip of the nightmare was still strong, and the mention of his father’s death weighed heavily on him, making it hard to breathe.
“I… I couldn’t save him…” Danny whispered, his voice shaking. “It’s my fault…”
Chase took a step closer to Danny, lowering his voice. “It wasn’t your fault, Danny. You’ve carried that guilt for too long. You’ve done so much good since then—your dad would be proud of you. But you have to let this go. You’re a hero.”
Nightmare hissed in frustration, seeing the flicker of doubt in Danny’s mind. “Don’t listen to him!” it snarled, stepping forward menacingly. “He’s lying to you! You’ll never be free of your past!”
But Chase wasn’t done. He squared his shoulders, standing tall in front of Danny, his eyes blazing with determination. “I know who you are, Danny.” He said. “You’re my boyfriend. You’re the guy who’s always looking out for everyone else, even when you’re scared. You’re the guy who saved my life more times than I can count. You’re Spider-Man.”
“I… I’m Spider-Man.” Danny whispered, as if he was trying to remind himself of who he really was.
Nightmare’s twisted grin faltered as it sensed the shift in Danny’s resolve. “He’s lying to you, Danny! You’re weak, just like you were when you couldn’t save your dad. You’ll always be weak!”
But Chase wasn’t having it. He turned toward the creature, his Fistigons glowing with energy, ready to strike if Nightmare made another move. “Shut up!” Chase growled. “Danny’s stronger than you’ll ever be. And you’re nothing but a pathetic illusion!”
With those words, Chase fired a blast from his Fistigons, the energy hitting Nightmare square in the chest. The creature shrieked in pain, its form flickering and distorting, but it wasn’t finished yet. It recovered quickly, turning back to Danny.
“You can’t escape your past.” Nightmare hissed. “You’ll always be haunted by it.”
But this time, Danny didn’t flinch. He took a deep breath, his hands curling into fists. The weight of his guilt still lingered. It always would. But Chase’s words were cutting through it, reminding him of all the battles he’d fought, all the people he’d saved. His father’s death had been a terrible tragedy, but it didn’t define him.
Slowly, Danny straightened up, pushing away from the lockers. He raised his head, his eyes locking onto Nightmare. “You’re wrong.” He said, his voice stronger now. “I may have made mistakes… but I’m not weak. I’m not a failure. And I’m sure as hell not afraid of you.”
With that, Danny’s Spider-Man suit began to form around him like a magical girl style transformation, the pink and purple material glowing with energy as he embraced his true self. The mask slid over his face, and suddenly, he wasn’t just Danny anymore—he was Spider-Man.
With a surge of determination, Danny shot a web at Nightmare, yanking it toward him. “And I’m not afraid of you.”
Nightmare snarled, thrashing as Danny’s web tightened around it. “This isn’t over!” He hissed, and then vanished in a puff of smoke.
Chase, still standing nearby, let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He walked over to Danny, his Fistigons powering down, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”
Danny looked at him and nodded. “Yeah… I think so. Thanks to you.”
Chase gave him a reassuring smile. “Hey, we’re a team, right? I’m not letting some creepy nightmare version of Skyler keep you down.”
But that thing was right about one thing, this wasn’t over yet. Because they were still in school.