Parker Household – Evening
The Parker house glowed with warmth, the scent of roasted chicken and garlic butter filling every corner. Peter darted back and forth from the kitchen, balancing plates while Gwen arranged silverware with the kind of precision that made Aunt May beam. Every now and then, Peter stole a quick kiss when May wasn't looking and Gwen didn't exactly fight him off.
The rumble of a car outside drew their attention. A police cruiser pulled up to the curb. Out stepped Captain George Stacy, his uniform cap tucked under his arm, a bakery box balanced in the other.
"Hope you're all hungry." He said as he stepped inside. "The precinct swears these cinnamon buns could end wars."
Uncle Ben clapped him on the shoulder. "If they're half as good as you say, we'll draft a peace treaty tonight."
They exchanged pleasantries, laughter filling the small living room before everyone drifted to the dinner table.
Dinner Conversation
The meal was lively. Uncle Ben asked about school, May nudged questions about college plans and Captain Stacey — inevitably — poked at their "after-hours activities."
"So," He said between bites of chicken, " How's vigilante life treating you two? No broken ribs this week?"
Peter coughed into his glass. Gwen smirked. "We heal fast. Occupational hazard but no the suit does wonders. Also, I don't do vigilantism.,"
Ben chuckled. " You know, when I was your age, the most rebellious thing I did was sneak into a drive-in. Now it's… multicolored robot suits and rooftop acrobatics."
"Times change." May said, but there was pride in her smile.
Peter relaxed until dessert neared. His leg bounced under the table, nerves tightening his chest. Gwen slid her hand under the table and clasped his, her thumb brushing circles into his skin. A silent you got this.
The Black Box
Peter exhaled, reached into his jacket, and placed a sleek black box on the table. Inside was three sleek watches glowing purple.
"Peter?" Ben asked carefully. "What's this?"
Peter's eyes scanned the table. "Have you guys noticed anything… odd lately? Flickers. Déjà vu. Something that doesn't quite belong?"
Captain Stacey leaned back, frowning. "Wait. Those are real? I thought I was hallucinating from coffee and night shifts."
"They're real." Gwen said softly.
Peter nodded. "They're called dimensional glitches. The walls between universes are thinning. Bits of one reality bleeding into another. At first, it was just small—magazines flickering, reflections off. But now? They're growing. More frequent. Stronger. If it continues unchecked…" He swallowed. "It could collapse everything. Not just New York. Not just Earth. All of it."
A heavy silence fell. The weight of his words pressed against every corner of the room.
Uncle Ben finally broke it. "So what now? You and Gwen just fix it?"
"That's the problem." Peter rubbed the back of his neck. "We don't know the source. There are quadrillions of universes. Tracking it down requires materials that barely exist—Vibranium, destabilizer metals—stuff even Stark doesn't have lying around."
Captain Stacey leaned forward. "Then you're telling me you're going into… other universes?" His voice hardened. "No. Absolutely not. Gwen, you're not—"
"Dad," Gwen interrupted firmly, meeting his eyes. "It's not optional. We don't get to choose. One minute we're here and in the other we're gone. No warning, no signals."
Peter opened the black box. Inside, nestled in velvet, sat three sleek wristbands, brushed obsidian metal, faint fractal etchings glowing with deep purple light.
[Image]
"These," Peter said, sliding one toward Uncle Ben, Aunt May and Captain Stacey, "are dimensional stabilization watches. They keep you tethered here, no matter what happens. If a rift opens in this room, you'll stay anchored. No risk of slipping between universes and they also tell the time."
Uncle Ben lifted his gently, turning it over like it was too fragile to touch. "And these work?"
"They're temporary solutions." Peter admitted. "But they buy us time. Long enough to make something permanent."
May's eyes softened as she fastened hers on. "Thank you, Peter. For thinking of us."
Captain Stacey held his, but his gaze stayed on Gwen. "I still don't like it. You're my daughter. And you're telling me you could just… vanish."
"I could," Gwen said quietly. She squeezed Peter's hand again. "But I won't be alone. I trust Peter."
For once, the captain didn't argue. He simply looked at Peter — hard, measuring, like a cop sizing up a suspect. Then he gave a single, reluctant nod.
After Dinner – The Night Sky
The table cleared, Ben and May retired early and Captain Stacey left with promises to call if anything... anything... happens.
That left Peter and Gwen standing out on the back porch, the autumn night cool against their skin. Stars shimmered above, untouched by glitches — for now.
"So…" Gwen leaned against the railing, hair catching the moonlight. "If we do end up in another universe, what do you think we'll see?"
Peter tilted his head. "Variants. Different versions of us. Maybe worlds where things went better. Maybe worlds where they went worse."
Her lips quirked. "You mean there could be a Gwen who's… blonde again?"
"Or a Gwen who's president." Peter teased. His smile faded, though, as a darker thought passed. He thought of what he knew — of Spider-Verse stories where Gwen was ridden with guilt and shut herself off from everyone, where Peter was dead. He didn't tell her that.
Instead, he whispered, "Not all of them will be happy. We might find versions of ourselves we wish we hadn't met."
Gwen stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Then we don't look back. Whatever we find out there, we come back here. Together."
Peter rested his chin against her head, the silence of the night wrapping them both in fragile comfort.
"Together," He echoed.
Above them, the stars seemed steady. For now.
Read 31 chapters ahead on P.A.T.R.E.O.N
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