Chapter Text
“Shit! Come on Doc, I just did laundry!”
Ghost-Spider swore as debris and dust rained down upon her, caking her spider suit with mud.
Gwen dodged the giant metal arm flying at her, flipping over a broken car and using a web to heave herself up onto a nearby lamppost.
“You started this fight Spider! But I intend to finish it!” Doctor Octopus grunted, picking up a stop sign and swinging it at Gwen’s head.
Gwen ducked and cringed as the sign crashed into the apartment building behind them, smashing into the brick. This was Mr. Osborn’s building, where he had cleared out the top few floors for his penthouse. She promised him that she would keep the property damage to a minimum as Ghost-Spider. Gwen had listened to enough of his rants over dinner to know that Norman wasn’t too fond of her alter ego.
“What do you mean I started it? You were the one who decided to spend your Tuesday evening breaking into the Osborn’s!” Gwen complained.
Was it bad to say she expected Otto to be better? While he was of course her enemy she had once considered him a friend and a teacher, and honestly still did. She really didn’t want to ‘defeat’ him once and for all. There were times where, even after his accident, Doctor Octavious had helped her, repairing her web shooters, stopping other villains who got in his way, and that one time he had politely agreed to wait until after she got her prom date home before going on an all-night crime spree. Gwen really didn’t mind Ock, she just wished he would maybe keep the throwing cars and blowing up the city to a minimum.
“I wasn’t trying to kill him! The personal business of Doctor Octopus is none of your concern, Spider!” Otto huffed visibly starting to get tired. He wouldn’t falter anytime soon but he was still like…old. Again, Gwen felt bad, like she was beating the shit out of her uncle or something.
Gwen decided to use his fatigue to her advantage and web up his actual legs while he was occupied. Normally he would just use the actuators to move around in battle, causing him to forget about his human limbs.
Unfortunately, Otto caught on right away though, kicking away the webbing and sending a barrage of attacks from his tentacles. One of them hit Gwen, and she was slammed back into a wall, groaning as pain exploded in the back of her skull. She wiggled one of her wrists free and shot webs at Ock’s face, allowing her a moment to break free as he was blinded.
She quickly fled to higher ground, dangling from a ledge on a nearby building, surveying the street to look for openings and weaknesses. As she mapped out her strategy, a thought kept nagging at her.
She swung back down to Otto, kicking him in the back of the head. Disorientated, his tentacles were the only thing keeping him upright, their grip splintering the concrete beneath them, creating patterns like strange grey flowers, reminding Gwen of an iris.
“Okay time out, if you weren’t gonna kill him, what are you doing here? Also what do you mean personal business? What are you gonna do to Mr. Osborn, Otto?” Gwen was getting worried now, both for Mr. Osborn’s safety and for Otto. He would probably have some shocking moment of clarity after committing whatever atrocity he had planned for the CEO, which would not be pleasant to deal with for either of them.
“I-oh-um…That’s none of your business! Like I said!” Otto sputtered, appearing red in the face.
Gwen stayed quiet for a moment and Octavious took it as an accusation.
“You have no right to judge me Spider! What I and any other consenting adults do in our free time does not involve you! Or anyone! Or…or…oh just shut up.” Ock ranted, trailing off as he realized the hole he was digging himself.
“What the fuck Otto? I…honestly I don’t wanna know.” Beyond confused, Gwen just stood there blinking, unsure what to do next.
Were Doctor Octavious and Mr.Osborn friends? Gwen knew they used to work together, and had known each other for quite a while beforehand but why would they still be friends? Mr. Osborn had made some questionable decisions before, almost half of her foes being some product of Oscorp’s negligence for safety, but would he do something like this? Was he helping Otto commit crimes? Ock had stolen from Oscorp before, was that just a set up? Why had he said it like that? Why was Otto blushing so hard?
“Um…well…I’m gonna go if we’re done fighting now. I have um, some other matters to attend to and I imagine you have homework.” Otto huffed, moving to make his escape.
“Wow Ock, just gonna leave me to clean everything up-“
“Yes.”
“Ouch, cold. I guess I’ll either see you later than Octopus.”
“You’re not going to chase me?” Otto looked surprised.
“I really do have homework. Besides, I have to do laundry again now.” Gwen sulked.
“Oh, right then.”
Like a flash the doctor was gone, tentacles propelling him down the block, leaving Gwen to just kind of stand there, waiting for the police to show up.
Gwen idled on the ground, kicking small bits of rock and stone around. She hated moments like this, when everything seemed all too still. Despite all the benefits of being a superhero, the heightened awareness aspect usually just ended up agitating her ADHD.
Sighing, realizing that there was nothing better to do, Gwen pulled her cellphone out of a covert pocket of the suit. Popping on her headphones and pulling up a playlist, she began absent-mindedly scrolling through her socials. Ghost-Spider was trending again along with Oscorp and Ock, which was funny but also totally annoying. She couldn’t go two seconds without causing some sort of media uproar.
She noticed a live feed of her, right then streaming to about 15,000 people. Not the highest view count for her antics, but still enough to give them something. Gwen turned and looked around for a few moments, eventually spotting an iPhone on a tripod in an open window a few stories up. She waved, and webbed the camera. Sure enough, the stream went down.
Gwen went back to wasting time, checking her grades and turning in some homework she had been working on right before she rushed over here. She tapped her foot and hummed along to the song that was playing, fighting the urge to loosen up and stretch her muscles, acing from the bruising Doc had given her.
Ghost-Spider had a deal with the NYPD; she could fight and stop all the crime she wanted, but if it was any serious or recurring threat, like one of the city's many super villains, she had to help file the report, and secure the area until the cops could come and tape it off. Gwen thought it was a bit stupid, as much as she loved her father, no government agency besides S.H.I.E.L.D. could stop any of these weirdos. But S.H.I.E.L.D. was corrupt, in the pocket of pretty much anybody with twenty dollars these days.
So here she was, 19 years old, carrying the responsibility of the lives of all 8 million citizens of New York.
“Ghost-Spider!” Speaking of civilians, a muffled voice called out. Taking her headphones out, Gwen turned to see Osborn rushing out the lobby of his building.
“Oh, Mr. Osborn are you alright?” Gwen asked, stepping back, a bit wary of the CEO.
“Yes I should be fine, is Ott- Doctor Octopus gone?” Norman seemed jumpy and anxious, looking around almost eagerly. Gwen would normally chalk this up to fear but it seemed almost suspicious now, rehearsed even.
“He just escaped, I’m sorry Mr. Osborn. I was going to wait for the authorities to arrive to ensure this scene was secured, but I can follow him if you’d like.”
“No! No, I mean please stay, there’s no use in going after him.” Norman was clearly hiding something. Gwen resolved to file it away for later. She could ask Harry about it, but most likely she’d have to go to ‘ Her’. Ugh
“Of course Mr. Osborn. You should get back to safety inside your apartment while I patrol out here. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to you if Doc Ock came back.” Gwen said, as polite as she possibly could.
“Yes, you’re right. Thank you, Ghost-Spider.” Osborn turned to leave, seemingly dejected at the prospect of Otto staying gone. Weird.
Watching him sulk away, Gwen felt the tingle of her spider senses nagging in the back of her mind. It wasn’t the same frequency as the “Danger! Look out!” message that she got during fights, it was the curious pull she got when somebody was lying.
Norman was moving slowly, and though his back was turned she could see he was wringing his hands and muttering to himself. Gwen couldn’t quite make out what he was saying, but the way he was staggering back and forth almost seemed like he was arguing with himself.
“Mr. Osborn, wait.” Gwen said against her better judgment.
“Yes, Ghost-Spider?” Norman turned back, confused, and strangely hostile, a flicker of anger poking out from under his words, under his face, like whatever mask he wore in his daily life was suddenly too small for the real man beneath it.
“Sorry, I know this line of questioning is better suited for the police, but it would help me protect you in the future if I know.”
“If it’s better suited for the police then I don’t understand why I am being bothered with it, but fine. Spit it out.” Yesh ! Someone had gotten real cranky real fast.
“Why is Doctor Octavius trying to kill you?”
“What? Did he say that?” Norman looked furious, and strangely hurt. It was an expression of panic and betrayal, an intensity Gwen hadn't even seen on the businessman when he almost lost his company. Norman was cold and calculating when it came to almost everything besides Harry, but this fury could only be described as blazing.
“Well not exactly but-“
“Thank you, Ghost-Spider, but I have all the protection I could need and more from Oscorp. You’ve told me all I need to know. Now then, ta-ta!” Osborn practically growled, cutting Gwen off. The tone of his voice reverberated through her skull, spider-sense going crazy. What. The. Fuck.
Gwen was soon distracted by the sounds of sirens, the sound of her Father’s arrival. She couldn’t say anything about Osborn to him, but she would still need info.
Gwen didn’t want to drag Harry into this, he didn’t even live with his father anymore and refused to see Norman unless Gwen or someone else went with him. Harry loved his father, and she had no doubt Norman cared for Harry, but something had happened between them. It wasn’t her business, or so she thought. Had Harry come across some of Norman’s misdeeds? Was he scared of whatever his father was involved in?
There was one person she knew she could go to for help, but god, she really didn’t want to. Damnit!
—————
Gwen soon found herself standing in what might actually be the shadiest alley in all of New York. It was dark and dingy and she couldn’t quite tell if there was a trash bag in the corner or a body. She really didn’t want to be here but unfortunately, this source was never wrong.
With a huff Gwen refreshed her messages, hoping that her contact would finally respond. She was told to meet her here, and Gwen had no doubt that she would come, but the matter of when was a bit unclear.
So when Gwen’s phone started to ring, she picked it up, ready to give Watson a piece of her mind.
“Hey Gwen, whatcha doing standing out there in the cold?” Gwen felt all the anger leave her, leaving a strange, fluttery sensation bouncing around in her stomach. The voice was sweet, almost sickly, mocking her, like sugar on raw honey, delicious yet disgusting. Gwen hated how she was already getting worked up.
“I wouldn’t be stuck out here if you answered your goddamn phone MJ! I swear-”
“Ah ah ah, I’m doing you a favor. Be nice.” Gwen hated how calm that voice always sounded, so in control, decisive and calculated. MJ sounded like she knew the future, and hell, maybe she really did.
“Just let me in already.” Gwen grumbled.
“Of course sweetheart.” Gwen felt herself flush at the tease, and huffed as the other line went dead. A screech echoed down the alleyway as rusty old fire escape was dropped down, the noise feeling like a smack in the face for Gwen’s enhanced hearing.
Gwen grabbed onto the bottom wrung and cringed at the rough textures. All this superhero shit had some major downsides. Begrudgingly, she hefted herself up and began to climb the latter.
Eventually Gwen reached the windowsill, slipping in the apartment, a soft bed cushioning her landing. She was immediately hit with the smell of vanilla and strawberries, gentle soaps and warm light.
Everything in the bedroom was homey, for lack of a better word. It was inviting and pleasant, a mix of cool blues, light browns, and hints of black and white. Worn jackets and old journals were scattered across the room, mixed with the various items of clothing littered on the floor. Plants were outgrowing their pots and spilling over, vines curling around whatever was near, slithering like snakes. Various candles burned in the corner, and lava lamps and soft LEDs lit the room, the overhead fan dusty and dim from disuse.
The light clacking of a keyboard brought Gwen’s attention to the desk in the corner of the room, small with wood painted white, overcrowded by a comical amount of screens, which trailed up the wall, the tower almost hitting the ceiling. They all played a different feed, everything from Community and Seinfeld reruns to live security cam footage from government hide-outs.
The mastermind- so to speak- behind it all sat upon a gaming chair, adorning a matching headset over ginger hair. Flaming locks tumbling a delicate back, barely covered say for a scandalous bra. It wasn’t the first time Gwen had seen MJ nearly nude but she still felt her face heat up at the sight.
“Ahem.” Gwen awkwardly made her presence known, feeling as if she moved too much or spoke too loud, MJ would somehow know just how much she affected her.
“I know you’re there honey. Sit down a minute, I gotta finish up this article.” MJ murmured out, clearly engrossed in whatever she was writing, both endearing Gwen and annoying her at the same time.
Gwen and MJ hated each other. If they didn’t run in the same circles, both socially and professionally, they wouldn’t even talk. They had met through Peter and Harry back in highschool, and had been at each other’s throats ever since. You would think this would stop them from hanging out almost everyday, but Gwen couldn’t deny there was a gravity that drew her towards the other woman. There was a passion in MJ that matched Gwen’s own that she craved, someone who could be on her level and keep up, even be ahead of her, it was something she hadn’t felt in so long, at least with someone who wasn’t outright trying to murder her.
MJ was a freelance journalist, writing articles for The Bugle by day, and running the most popular exposè blog at night. From celebrities to the government, MJ was The Web, unraveling stories and hidden secrets that S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t want you to know. Gwen begrudgingly appreciated MJ’s contributions to the vigilante community, and her efforts in keeping the public informed.
The strange combo of superior hacker and talented author placed MJ ahead in both fields, super for sure, though sometimes Gwen couldn’t tell if it was heroic or villainous.
“Ugh, and send! There we go! The Web strikes again!” MJ giggled, turning around in her seat with the audible swoosh of something being uploaded in the back. Sure enough, Gwen could feel her phone buzz and chime, only slightly embarrassed to have push notifications on.
“Awwww you read my updates? That’s cute.” MJ teased, almost evilly.
“I only read them in case anything useful to me is mentioned. Don’t think that I-”
“Now that’s a lie, otherwise you’d just be reading the article I just posted, instead of here.”
“What?”
“I mean, Doc and Norman, that’s why you’re looking for info, right?” Gwen gaped, how did MJ already know?!?
“Don’t act so surprised! I always watch your fights. Besides I’ve had my eye on them for a while, this is just the first time they’ve been this obvious!” MJ explained slyly, waving a hand and turning back to her computer.
“Hold on, let me pull up the footage of before you got there.”
“Wha- what do you mean! How could you possibly have known-” Gwen sputtered, before being rudely interrupted.
“Shhh honey, calm down. Now watch this and save all your questions for the end.” MJ smirked, rolling the chair back to give Gwen a better view of the monitor.
Gwen felt herself blush at the pet name. She would argue, but she knew that whatever MJ was showing her was important.
The grainy security camera footage of the side of the Oscorp tower showed Otto climbing up the side at….8:30? That’s nearly a half an hour before Gwen got the call for help! What the fuck!
Otto climbs up and over the edge of the balcony, walking into the penthouse, arms open wide. He disappears from frame for a beat, obscured by the walls of the apartment, before re-entering it, followed by Norman, who carried two glasses and a bottle of liquor.
Gwen stared, bewildered as the video went on, and the two scientists took seats across from each other, and began to talk over drinks.
“Okay, they do this for a while, so I’m gonna speed it up, but keep paying attention.”
As the feed sped up, Norman and Otto began to get deeper into conversation, they both began to get more animated, waving their arms about, scooting up in their seats, leaning into each other’s space. Suddenly the video slowed all the way back down, and then some, just as Otto reached over to Norman’s face, and stroked his cheek with a real arm.
“There! Look! It’s like they’re about to kiss! But then-”
Suddenly the two abruptly stood up, Osborn hurrying inside while Ock straightened himself up, a cruel sneer shadowing his face. The tentacles slithered out from his coat, propelling Otto off the side of the building. Moments later Gwen watched herself swing into frame.
“Oh my god…”
“Yep.”
“You think they’re…”
“Oh, I know they are!”
“I mean Norman, not to be rude or anything I just always assumed, but Otto?” Gwen said, still reeling from the shock of what she just saw. That was definitely not what she was expecting.
“Really? Ock was kinda obvious, Osborn was the one that surprised me.” MJ replied as she shut off the footage, instead pulling up her article.
“Oh fuck wait, you didn’t mention that in your article did you? Cause that is like, still not cool to out them, despite…you know.”
“Of course not! I tactfully omitted certain facts, but kept in the part where they were drinking together.” MJ scrolled through her blog, letting Gwen see that there were no especially compromising photos of the two.
“Okay good…yeah.”
A moment of silence filled the room, Gwen trying to process the fact that Octavious and Osborn were totally fucking oh my god, she has to tell Harry now, doesn’t she?
After letting that sink in, a new, equally horrifying realization sunk in.
“Wait, they’re so old, oh my god!” Gwen gagged, desperately trying to stop the series of images her brain was presenting to her.
“What do you mean? Did you think that once you turn 40 you just stop having sex?” MJ laughed incredulously.
“I mean, I don’t know, I guess? It’s just, like wouldn’t having sex just like, kill some old people? Quite literally suck the soul out of them?” Gwen admitted, now embarrassed.
This made MJ laugh even harder, and Gwen felt time slow down. The joy that radiated off of her, the creases on her eyes and nose as MJ’s faces lit up, her rosy cheeks and perfect, soft lips, all complimented by the room’s lighting. Gwen felt her heart speed up, every sense was heightened, and for once, she was so very grateful for it.
“Oh Gwen, you know, there’s actually a lot of horror movies about that. But no, that’s not how it works. For the most part at least.” MJ chided once she calmed down.
“Just…shut up…” Gwen grumbled.
“I will but only because we’re going to have lots of time to talk about this later.” MJ replied, jumping out of her chair. She moved across the room, full of energy and elegance, and Gwen couldn’t help but watch her, as she moved about in her natural habitat.
“What are you talking about? What’s going on later?” Gwen questioned earnestly, as MJ opened up her closet doors and began rummaging through.
“Because!” MJ started, in between grunts as she tried to free something from under a box. “We have to do something about all of this, and I know exactly what to do.”
“What? No way! You’re not gonna do anything, and I really don’t think we should intervene. Besides, you don’t have any powers, and I don’t care how many times you’ve beaten shocker up with a bat, that doesn’t count!”
“Oh please, I didn’t mean that we were going to do something about Doc and Osborn fucking, I have a hunch that these two can lead us to Goblin. Besides, what I had in mind isn’t actually that dangerous!” MJ finally managed to pull free whatever had been stuck, yanking it out with a few quick curses.
“What did you have in mind then?” Gwen sighed.
MJ turned around, with a grin so wide and slightly unsettling it would give any villain a run for their money. Gwen just shook her head and tried to keep from arguing when she saw the binoculars in MJ’s hands.
“Why, a stakeout of course!”