It had been an excruciating week since the fateful incident at Coney Island—a week marked by Peter Parker’s transformation from your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man into a tempestuous whirlwind of unspent fury. The gravity of his inner turmoil was almost palpable, a heavy veil of despair that clung to him. To say Peter was struggling to cope would barely scratch the surface; it was an understatement. His life, though not lengthy, had been a tumultuous voyage filled with haunting loss and relentless pain, and one could hardly fault him for becoming a bitter, hollow shell of the vibrant person he once was.
Yet, amidst the shadow of his anguish, there remained a glimmering beacon of hope: Astrid. She illuminated his thoughts like a warm summer sun breaking through a shroud of clouds. Though his spirit was weighed down by the conflicts of his heart, he still found solace in the fleeting moments he could spend with her. While he grappled with the demands of his new role as an intern at Stark Industries—a job that, to him, felt like a distant echo of his former self—he made it a point to check on Astrid whenever the chaos allowed. Each interaction, each smile shared, served as a lifeline, pulling him back from the precipice of despair and reminding him of the light he still had in his life.
Peter, with a heart heavy yet thankful, offered silent gratitude to the universe each day for the twists of fate that had spared him from a far darker outcome that night in the warehouse. As he swayed gently on the train, the rhythmic clattering of wheels against the tracks provided a strange comfort. He clutched the sturdy rope above him, using it as a lifeline to anchor himself against the shifting crowd.
His gaze wandered down to his free hand, and an icy shiver ran through him as he caught sight of the remnants of his violent past—streaks of crimson partially hidden beneath his fingernails, the haunting evidence of the lives he had taken in pursuit of reaching Astrid in time. The faces of those men flashed before his mind's eye, their final moments etched into his memory like scars on his soul.
A surge of nausea threatened to overtake him as he stumbled into the depths of his recollections, but he forcefully yanked himself back, halting that spiralling descent into despair. That dark path always loomed ahead, lined with echoes of pain and loss, a relentless corridor from which there seemed to be no escape—a place utterly devoid of love, where shadows of regret stretched endlessly before him.
All he longed for was to embrace a life filled with happiness alongside his beloved girlfriend and their newest family member, a charming baby Doberman named Daphne. Known for their fierce loyalty and protective nature, Dobermans embodied the sense of security Astrid desperately craved at that moment—a steadfast guardian to rely on, especially in contrast to her broken, inadequate fiancé, who seemed to falter under the weight of responsibility.
The man was too afraid that he would lose it again like he did, so he hadn’t been doing his usual patrols. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to be at home anymore and watch his broken shell of a fiancé wander around the house without a rational thought in that pretty little head. Maybe he had not been the best fiancé he could be, but this was a lot. In such a short amount of time, he had experienced so much pain.
Yet as he stepped off the train and headed to his shared apartment, he could still hear the broken voice of Astrid down the street. “I can’t do it anymore Pete. I… I give up.” No, no, no Peter rushed to a safe place put his suit on and raced to the rooftop she was on. He was too late though, he could see her small frame flying through the air as she jumped off of a highrise.
He focused on her and shot his webs as he neared the flying woman. Pulling her into his arms as she shook with her sobs. “I won’t let you give up on us.” He said in her ear as he slowly landed them both on the rooftop of their building and took off his mask as they sank to the ground. Peter held her and sighed as she held onto his neck and sobbed. “I know I haven’t been here for you like I should be, and I’m sorry. Just… don’t give up, okay? I can be better.” He said the wobble in his voice from the deep pain and unshed emotions inside him was un-hidable as he desperately tried to stay calm.
As long as they had one another by their sides, navigating life's challenges would become a journey filled with strength and resilience. With their unwavering support and shared dreams, they felt equipped to face any obstacle together, knowing that their bond would always light the way through even the darkest of times.