Chase blinked, stepping out of the ruins of the lab heâd just escaped and suddenly finding himself in a place he hadnât expectedâback 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 Dannyâs 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. âYouâre still just a loser, Danny. Always will be. You couldnât even save your dad.â
For a moment, Chaseâs 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.
Chaseâs 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.
âBack off!â Chase growled.
And yet, Skyler didnât seem phased at all. âBig move hero boy.â Skyler taunted as he got back up.
âHero boy, huh?â Chase shot back. âBetter that than a coward like you, Skyler.â
Danny, was still pressed against the lockers, still looking terrified.
Skyler cracked his knuckles, stepping forward with a wicked grin. âYou think you can save him? Just because youâre here doesnât change what he is. Heâs weak. Heâs nothing.â And then Skylerâs voice became more sinister. âThat boy has so much torment inside of him, itâs amusing really. I can get so much power from one boy.â
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 wasnât the first giveaway.
âWho are you?â Chase growled, stepping in front of Danny protectively. His Fistigons hummed with energy, ready for a fight. âYouâre not Skyler.â
The creature wearing Skylerâs face let out a chilling laugh, its eyes glowing with a malevolent light. âOh, you finally caught on,â it sneered, its voice a mix of Skylerâs and something demonic. âIâm not Skyler. I am the embodiment of his cruelty, his malice, all the things that broke your little friend here. I am Nightmare.â
âDannyâs not broken.â Chase spat. âNot anymore.â
The creature tilted its head, amused. âOh, but he is. You think heâs strong because he puts on a mask and plays hero? Underneath it all, heâs still the same scared little boy who couldnât save his father. And he knows it.â
Dannyâs gasped at the mention of his dad, his body still frozen against the lockers. The memories of that dayâof losing his father because of his own mistakeâstill haunted him, and the creature knew exactly how to twist the knife.
âIâve had enough of this!â Chase growled. âYou donât get to mess with him. Not now, not ever.â
Nightmareâs grin only widened. âBut itâs so easy.â He purred. âAll I have to do is remind him of the truthâthat deep down, he knows heâs not a hero. Heâs a failure. And you⊠you think you can save him? Youâre just as broken as he is, with your daddy issues.â
Chase flinched at the mention of his father but didnât let it distract him. He wasnât going to let Nightmare get into his head. This wasnât 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.
âDanny.â Chase said, his voice gentler now. âDonât listen to him. This isnât real. Youâve already faced your past. Youâve saved more people than you can count. This? This is just another fight, and youâre Spider-Man.â
But Danny wasnât moving. The words werenât 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. âSee? Youâre wasting your breath. Heâll never be free of his guilt. You both know it.â
Chaseâs 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 Dannyâs 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.
âDanny!â Chase shouted, full of emotion. âYouâre not that kid anymore! Youâve faced bigger threats than this! Youâve stood up to villains who could destroy the world, and youâre telling me that this bully is gonna beat you?â
Danny flinched at Chaseâs 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 fatherâs death weighed heavily on him, making it hard to breathe.
âI⊠I couldnât save himâŠâ Danny whispered, his voice shaking. âItâs my faultâŠâ
Chase took a step closer to Danny, lowering his voice. âIt wasnât your fault, Danny. Youâve carried that guilt for too long. Youâve done so much good since thenâyour dad would be proud of you. But you have to let this go. Youâre a hero.â
Nightmare hissed in frustration, seeing the flicker of doubt in Dannyâs mind. âDonât listen to him!â it snarled, stepping forward menacingly. âHeâs lying to you! Youâll never be free of your past!â
But Chase wasnât done. He squared his shoulders, standing tall in front of Danny, his eyes blazing with determination. âI know who you are, Danny.â He said. âYouâre my boyfriend. Youâre the guy whoâs always looking out for everyone else, even when youâre scared. Youâre the guy who saved my life more times than I can count. Youâre Spider-Man.â
âI⊠Iâm Spider-Man.â Danny whispered, as if he was trying to remind himself of who he really was.
Nightmareâs twisted grin faltered as it sensed the shift in Dannyâs resolve. âHeâs lying to you, Danny! Youâre weak, just like you were when you couldnât save your dad. Youâll always be weak!â
But Chase wasnât having it. He turned toward the creature, his Fistigons glowing with energy, ready to strike if Nightmare made another move. âShut up!â Chase growled. âDannyâs stronger than youâll ever be. And youâre nothing but a pathetic illusion!â
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 wasnât finished yet. It recovered quickly, turning back to Danny.
âYou canât escape your past.â Nightmare hissed. âYouâll always be haunted by it.â
But this time, Danny didnât flinch. He took a deep breath, his hands curling into fists. The weight of his guilt still lingered. It always would. But Chaseâs words were cutting through it, reminding him of all the battles heâd fought, all the people heâd saved. His fatherâs death had been a terrible tragedy, but it didnât define him.
Slowly, Danny straightened up, pushing away from the lockers. He raised his head, his eyes locking onto Nightmare. âYouâre wrong.â He said, his voice stronger now. âI may have made mistakes⊠but Iâm not weak. Iâm not a failure. And Iâm sure as hell not afraid of you.â
With that, Dannyâs 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 wasnât just Danny anymoreâhe was Spider-Man.
With a surge of determination, Danny shot a web at Nightmare, yanking it toward him. âAnd Iâm not afraid of you.â
Nightmare snarled, thrashing as Dannyâs web tightened around it. âThis isnât over!â He hissed, and then vanished in a puff of smoke.
Chase, still standing nearby, let out a breath he didnât realize heâd been holding. He walked over to Danny, his Fistigons powering down, and placed a hand on his shoulder. âYou okay?â
Danny looked at him and nodded. âYeah⊠I think so. Thanks to you.â
Chase gave him a reassuring smile. âHey, weâre a team, right? Iâm not letting some creepy nightmare version of Skyler keep you down.â
But that thing was right about one thing, this wasnât over yet. Because they were still in school.