Parker House — Gwen's Bedroom — Evening
In Gwen's bedroom, Peter was lying on her bed, his arms crossed behind his head and his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He seemed lost in thought.
A few feet away from him, Gwen was sitting at her desk, absorbed in a book.
Silence filled the room for a long while, until she finally decided to break it.
— "Peter?"
— "Yeah?"
— "Are you okay?"
He hesitated for a few moments before answering.
— "...I don't know."
— "Is it because of Flash?"
— "...Yeah."
Gwen stopped reading.
She gently closed her book, set it down on her desk, then turned toward her boyfriend, who was still lying on the bed.
— "I have to admit... I don't really get why it's bothering you so much. Sure, he hasn't always been nice, but now he's trying to make sure the trip goes well. Isn't that a good thing?"
— "Yeah, yeah, of course! But... I don't know... there's just something that feels off."
He thought back to Flash's words.
His tone.
His expression.
It all reminded him of the Flash he had known a long time ago.
— "You know... the truth is, I've known Flash for a long time. Way before you and the others ever met him."
Gwen's eyes widened slightly.
— "R-Really?! I had no idea! Why have you never told me?"
— "I... I just didn't see the point. And honestly, I think it would've caused more problems than anything else. If people found out Flash Thompson used to be friends with me... I think it would seriously hurt his reputation."
Gwen remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
— "...Were you two close?"
— "I wouldn't say we were like brothers, but yeah... close enough to spend a lot of time together."
She frowned slightly.
— "But... what happened? Why did he change so much toward you?"
Peter shrugged.
He didn't have a satisfying answer to give her.
— "To be completely honest... I have no idea."
Gwen looked puzzled.
— "From one day to the next, the way he treated me changed. He became colder, more sarcastic... and over time, it became as routine as snacking."
She gently rubbed the back of her neck.
— "I see... I understand a lot better now why your conversation with him and the way he acted are stuck in your head. It really is strange that after everything, he's suddenly acting like he is today."
Peter simply nodded, still deep in thought.
— "So what are you going to do?"
He sat up and moved to the edge of the bed.
— "Talk to him and try to understand. We'll see if, like our teacher said, this trip might actually bring some people closer together. And honestly... it'd be a good thing if Anya, Miles, and Harry got closer to them too."
A gentle smile lit up Gwen's face.
— "Yeah, you're right."
She looked at him affectionately.
— "And if you need me... don't worry, I'll help you!"
A mischievous grin immediately spread across Peter's face.
— "Ooooh... a delicate little girl is going to help the great Spider-Man? Interesting..."
Gwen's eyes widened.
— "Me? Delicate?! Just wait, you'll see!"
She suddenly jumped out of her chair and lunged at him without warning.
Peter's Spider-Sense activated instantly.
Before she could even reach him, he was already clinging to the wall.
Seeing his teasing smile, Gwen puffed out her cheeks in frustration.
— "That's not fair...! GET DOWN FROM THERE!"
Peter immediately raised his hands in surrender.
— "S-Shh! Don't yell, don't yell!"
Afghanistan — Armed Camp in the Middle of the Desert — Morning
Beneath an arid sky bathed in the first light of dawn, a massive mercenary camp stretched across the middle of nowhere. Between military tents, jeeps, and crates of ammunition, Silver Sable was talking with her men when one of the soldiers came running toward her, out of breath.
— "Boss!"
She calmly turned toward him.
— "What is it? What's going on?"
— "You received a message."
— "From who?"
The mercenary struggled to catch his breath before answering.
— "Wilson Fisk."
At the mention of that name, Silver Sable's gaze sharpened. The soldier held out an envelope, which she immediately took.
— "Very well. You may go."
After dismissing her men with a simple nod, she returned to her tent, now alone with the envelope in her hands.
She opened it.
— "Let's see what you want... Fisk."
She silently read through the message. After a few seconds, an amused smile spread across her lips.
— "Well now, Fisk... it looks like you really need help this time. I don't know who this 'Spider-Man' is, but if you're offering me that much money... I'd say this must be something serious."
She slowly crumpled the letter in her hand before letting it fall to the ground.
A spark of excitement appeared on her face.
— "Very well."
She grabbed her two pistols along with several knives and stored them in the various holsters attached to her outfit around her hips and legs.
Then she abruptly stepped out of the tent.
— "Everyone, listen up! I have something important to look into, so I'm leaving! For now, you stay here! I'll contact you later, and you'll receive your instructions when the time comes. Understood?!"
— "Understood!"
She then pointed at one of the mercenaries.
— "You! Come with me. Drive me to my jet."
The two of them climbed into a vehicle and immediately set off.
The wind kicked up massive clouds of dust as they sped across the desert toward their next mission.
Silver Sable allowed herself a faint smile.
— "New York... here we come."
The Thompson Apartment — Flash's Bedroom — Evening
Lying on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head, Flash stared at the ceiling without truly seeing it. The silence filling the room was heavy, almost suffocating, yet despite the apparent calm, sleep stubbornly refused to come. The more the minutes passed, the more his thoughts kept circling endlessly, never giving him a single moment of peace.
His mind constantly drifted back to that day. To his conversation with Peter. To everything Peter had said... and everything those words implied. Ever since that conversation, one idea had refused to leave him alone: changing. Becoming a good person again. The thought itself almost felt unreal. Was that even possible after all these years? And more importantly... was he even capable of it?
His eyes remained fixed on the ceiling as his thoughts continued to wander. For a moment, he tried thinking about what awaited him after the trip: the army. A new life. A fresh start. Maybe even a chance to start over and leave behind the person he had been until now.
Yet despite all his efforts, those thoughts always faded away, making room for the same face : Peter.
He relived every moment when he had humiliated him, belittled him, or hurt him, sometimes for no reason at all. Moments that had once seemed almost insignificant now came back to strike him with unexpected force. And the more he thought about them, the more another question forced its way into his mind. Peter probably hadn't been the only one. How many other bright, sensitive, or simply different boys had he crushed over the years just to feel stronger or make everyone else laugh?
Then, without warning, an image forced itself into his mind. He saw himself standing in front of a gravestone whose name remained invisible. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't read what was engraved on it. And yet, deep down, he knew exactly who it belonged to... and even worse, he was certain that he was responsible for it.
His expression gradually tightened, and his jaw clenched under the weight of a deep sense of disgust. Not toward someone else.
Toward himself.
A heavy feeling settled in his chest, as though, for a brief moment, he had finally seen himself for who he truly was, without excuses, without lies, and without the mask he had been wearing all these years.
A heartbeat, louder than all the others, suddenly pulled him back to reality. He slowly blinked. The ceiling was still there, motionless and silent, as if nothing had happened. Flash let out a long breath before gently closing his eyes.
And there, in the darkness where he found himself alone with his own thoughts, he tried to fall asleep...
Not to run away from his demons.
But perhaps... to finally find the courage to face them.
TO BE CONTINUED.