He was gone.
It rung in her head like a church bell on Sunday morning.
He was gone, he was gone.
She stared down at the knife that held the letter. She pulled it out with ease and lifted the blade up with the note still attached.
With shaking hands, she slowly opened the letter not noticing the terrified gasp of her mother behind her.{Dear Spider-Woman
Tonight, you are the guest of honor.
Dear Spider Woman
Tonight, you are the guest of honour.
Come and test your skills against your better.
You wouldn't want him to be sent in pieces, would you?
Then to the park with you, in hopes of finding the child.
Let the great hunt begin!
Signed K
Gwen's fists tightened around the sheet of paper. 'No...' She thought to herself, too stunned to move. 'Oh GOD no...Not Harry... He's too young for this...'
"Gwen!" Her mother's worried voice snapped her out of her stupor.
"Mom, I have to go and get him back!" She said. Her mother flinched sympathetically at the impassioned yell of a mother who's child was in danger.
"Yes, dear, I understand completely. Go and save him. Bring him back safely." Gwen hugged her mother tightly, letting out a soft sob. "It will be okay...Just try not to let your emotions cloud your judgement, okay?"
Gwen nodded against her mother's shoulder. The she was gone. Ms. Stacy stood gazing out the widow as a white figure swung away at fast speeds. She placed her hands to her chest and prayed. "Please…please, don't take him away from her too." She sobbed.
Spider-Woman swung through the city at great speeds. No wise cracks or silly jokes, no this Spider-Woman was out to find the bastard who dare kidnap her son. As she swung more images came to mind and then the fleeing of guilt hit.
'It's my fault. I put him into danger. He's in danger now because someone saw Spider-Woman with him. Oh Harry.' She shook her head. 'Pull yourself together Gwen! Harry needs you right now!' with narrowed eyes she swung down main street as the sun started to set over the New York sky line.
With one finally swing she turned into central park. The only bit of nature in the big city. She narrowed her eyes and decided to take the fight to the kidnapper and fired another web line onto a building.
Only for that line to be cut!
Gwen gasped as her Spider-sense kicked in and she started to spin out of control and fall to the earth below. She crashed through the trees casing the many birds to startle away with squawks of surprise.
Breaking a few branches she turned just enough to extend her arms out and land on the ground with her hands before pushing up and spinning in the air to land on her feet. "And the judges give me…seven, eight, seven, four! Damn those Russian judges!"
Her spider senses kicked in once more, however, and she narrowly managed to sidestep a bullet coming her way. She looked around, eyes narrowed under her mask. "Okay! Show yourself, right now!"
"Impressive...You managed to avoid that so easily." A voice sounded out.
"Who do you think you're dealing with here? Now I'm not playing games with you! Fork over the kid or it's gonna get REALLY ugly!"
"Ah, the child. Don't worry, he'll be perfectly fine. I never intended to hurt him. YOU are the only one I want, Spider-Woman."
Gwen narrowed her eyes under her mask. "If it's me you want, then why involve the kid?" she asked.
"Tsk, Tsk Spider, it's simple."
"Then tell me. If it's so simple."
"I'd rather save my breath. After all, you are going to need it."
Gwen glared now growing angry. "Come out, so I can punch your teeth in!"
"Soon, Spider. But first a test. Make it through my jungle of traps. At the end…you may get what you seek." The voice spoke again and then silence.
"Might want to re check your map! This is no jungle!" she shouts and started to run down the pathway only for her spider sense to ring once again as she back flipped as a giant log swung down to where she just was.
She landed in a crouch and gazed at the log with narrowed eyes. "Right traps, Of course it wouldn't be easy." She snarked.
Stepping forward, she focused on her surroundings. Looking down, she saw a patch of leaves, obviously covering some kind of pit. "Right, like I'm gonna fall for that." She said before leaping over it.
After landing gracefully, she casually ducked and weaved around various arrows that were fired her way.
"Give up! You can't beat me with these stupid traps!"
She rushed ahead jumping over another pit then more arrows came flying her way witch she dogged with great skill.
She landed in a crouch at a strait shot to the center of the park. 'Must be where this nut jobs keeping Harry.' She thought and sprinted down the road only for her spider-sense to kick in and for her to doge a round of gunfire.
She hid behind a tree and gazed out to see nothing in the vast tree's. "Okay…guessing he has hired help to. Or else he is ripping off the X-Men's danger room."
More automatic fire came her way and the wood started to splinter and crack as the fire carved through the wood. She gritted her teeth and when the bullets stopped she dove to the side. "She shoots!" she fires web balls in the direction of where the bullets came from and impact the guns with a wet THRAP
"She scores!" she said fist pumping.
She walks over to the webed guns and sees them on a motion sensor and holster that allows then to fire themselves "Guess that explains that…wait a second." She slides a bit of leaves off the gun and saw a logo on the side. It was a very exaggerated Hunter with a smile holding said gun in hand. "I've seen this before…" she thought out loud.
It's then she hears a cry and her eyes widen under her mask. "Harry!" she shouts and sprints to where she heard the cry.
She leapt into the clearing, kicking up snow on impact, and raised her fists, looking around wildly. And then, she saw Harry.
The world stopped around her as she saw the little boy she had already grown attached to being held at gunpoint.
"M-Miss Spider-Gwen..." He said softly, tears in his eyes.
Holding the child at gunpoint was a tall figure. A hood hid the figures face, but the jacket held the face of a lion. Around the waist was a belt with both knives and bullets. Hunter boots crushed under the snow.
"Welcome Spider." The figure spoke causing Gwen to tense and narrow her eyes into a glare as she curled her hand into a tight fist.
"Let him go!" she said stern.
"Oh? Why should I?" the figure asked. "Why not come and get him then?" the figure taunted her.
"Fine!" she shouted and rushed forward her fist clocked back ready to strike the crook. Only for her spider-sense to tingle and horrible shocking pain rocked through her as she volts of electricity coursed through her body and she let out a loud scream of pain.
"MISS GWEN!" Harry shouted terrified.
Gwen dropped to her knees her outfit smoking as she let out choked gasps.
"How predictable." The figure spoke and then tossed the child into a cage with the door slamming shut. "Those mines do not come cheap, you know."
Gwen tried to speak but she only felt a kick to the chin knocking her onto her back a few feet away.
"Get up Spider! Show me your strength. Prove to me you are worthy prey for Kraven!"
Harry's mind was racing at this point. He was watching Gwen get beat up and hurt, all for him!
It was his fault...He shouldn't have gotten himself kidnapped...Now Miss Gwen would hate him for sure...
"Harry...Run!" Gwen called out to him, causing him to gasp.
The figure raised a knife and prepared to strike...
"NOOOOOO!" Harry yelled out. The figure froze and turned abruptly when it noticed a bright light flashing.
"WHAT?!"
And then, the figure was launched back.
Gwen took a few deep breaths as she rolled onto her hands and knees. "Okay Gwen. Deep breaths." She spoke softly and slowly pushed herself back to her feet shaking.
She clutched her teeth as she forced her muscles to work and she slowly turned to look for the figure. "Yeah, you better run!" she said holding her midsection. "Ow…"
She then heard sobbing and her head snapped up and she looked over to the cage where Harry was crying his eyes out. "Harry!" she shouts and rushed over to the cage, ignoring the pain.
She slides onto the snow ground in front of the cage and rips the front off. She reaches inside and pulls him into an embrace. Harry continues to sob into her costume but she could care less. He is fine, he's in her arms again, he's safe.
"Shhh, shhh, it's okay. It's okay. I got you. I got you know." She said her own voice breaking slightly.
"I was scared...I...I thought you were gonna..." Harry trailed off and began to sob louder. Gwen let out a stifled sob as well. This entire time, he was more worried for HER safety than his own...
The two of them comforted each other for several long minutes. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Harry...And I'll try my best not to let it happen again..."
"Sorry you were so worried about me..." Harry said softly. The two just hugged for several moments.
"Wait, what happened to the one who took you?" Gwen asked. She received her answer moments later when she heard a muffled voice. Looking over, she saw a pair of legs, presumably belonging to the kidnapper, sticking out of the snow. The fur pelt had flown off, revealing her outfit underneath.
Gwen narrowed her eyes. The revealing outfit, the shape of the legs... "You were a girl this whole time?!"
The snow bundle shook and Kraven stood from the snow. Mask torn, the hunter pulled it off and lowered the hood to show a beautiful face of a tanned skin woman with shaggy brown hair. She wore body armor underneath. "I guess you found out. No matter."
"That armor…it's not police brand. Hunting armor?" Gwen asked. "Like the guns and the traps, huh?" she asked. Kraven stayed silent just glaring at Spider-Woman with her chocolate brown eyes. "Guess I found my thief."
"I did not steal them. I was returning them to where they belong." She said sternly. Her voice hard yet had a layer of softness.
"And I'm guessing that's you. Wow, ego much."
"THEY WERE STOLEN FROM MY FAMILY!" Kraven snapped.
"Huh?"
"My father! He created all those traps, all those weapons! He taught that no good hillbilly everything! And what did he do?! He ripped my father off! Took everything we had! Never gave my father a cent. Then there's you!" she hissed like a snake.
Gwen frowned under her mask. "Me? What did I do? I just stop crimes, didn't think that was such a horrible thing."
"How arrogant are you?" Gwen put a hand on her hip, her free arm holding Harry protectively.
"And just what do you mean by that, huh?"
"What right do you have to prevent me from rightfully claiming what belongs to my family?!"
"Well, I think there's this little thing called stealing is wrong." She snarked at the woman.
Kraven growled at the joke and pulled out her machete from her belt. "I'll cut out your tongue!" She charged at the spider themed heroine swinging her blade diagonally, yet she hit only open air.
Gwen landed behind her in a crouch having jumped over her just in time. She held Harry close to her but glared at the mad woman. "Swing and a miss." She taunted.
Kraven spun around to take another swipe at the hero but instead felt the blade get knocked out of her hand from some webbing sending it flying and sticking to a lone tree. The huntress then felt a tug on her chest and looked down to see a thin strap of webbing on her chest plate the led back to the spider themed hero and the child who stood behind her hiding behind her legs.
"To sound completely unoriginal. GET OVER HERE!" Spider-Woman pulled hard, and Kraven went flying right at her extended fist, she saw stars and the pain of dislocated jaw. The woman was sent flying over a tree branch then falling to hang off it, swinging gently in the wind.
Spider-Woman webbed her up into a cocoon so she would not escape, then took a deep calming breath. "Glad that's over." She said softly then turned and instantly picked the little one back up into a hug.
Harry smiled widely and hugged her tightly. "Miss Gwen! You did it!" Gwen gave him a grin.
"Well, I couldn't have done it without...Um...Huh...What DID cause her to fall in the snow, anyway?" She asked. Harry looked down.
"Um...Miss Gwen...?" He said softly.
"Yeah, sweetie?" Gwen asked, patting his head.
"I think I did it...With the freak-I mean...special stuff."
Gwen looked over at the hanging form of the huntress and then at the little boy and smiled. "Well then…I guess I have to say," Harry closed his eyes expecting the worse, "Thank you." His eyes snapped open and he looked up at the white mask with wide eyes.
Gwen smiled down at him behind the mask. She held him close and rocked him gently in her arms. "You saved my hide buddy. You're a hero." She said with a grin.
"H-hero?" he asked his voice shaking.
"Yep, that's right. My little hero." She cooed, rubbing the back of his head.
"S-So I'm a hero...? Just like you...?" He asked softly, staring up at her in awe. "Does that mean I'm gonna grow up to be like you? Will I get to wear a cool costume and stop bad guys?"
"I can see it." Gwen nodded her head, smiling widely under her mask. "Buuut, that's for when you're older. I don't think I'm ready for you to be out doing that kind of thing quite yet."
Harry nodded but nuzzled into her with a smile. Gwen smiled back and just rocked him close. She heard the sirens in the but she did not care now. He was safe in her arms and that was what mattered.
She heard the crunch of the snow and turned to see the police lead by her father approach them. A few officers had their guns pointed right at her, others where wide eyed shocked to see her, and her father had his lowered but giving her a stern look. "Lower your guns." He ordered and then walked up to her. "What happened here?" he demanded.
Gwen pointed up at the cocooned Kraven with a small smirk. "Nothing much. Just dealt with the most recent criminal." She replied calmly. Her father scowled up at the cocoon.
"She tried to take this boy hostage, did she?" He said with a frown, looking at Harry. "Are you all right there, son?"
Harry nodded slowly nuzzling more into the super heroine. Officer Stacy grinned at the child and messed with his hair before nodding his disguised daughter. "We'll handle things from here. Get him someplace safe." He ordered.
Gwen smirked and gave him a lazy salute. "Yes sir!" She fired a web line onto a tree and pulled before being shot into the air to shoot another web line to another tree. The child's excited laughing the only sound in the forest.
The captain watched with a small grin before turning back to the webbed-up criminal and shook his head with a frown. "Now…how to get you down." He muttered.
Gwen swung through the night air, holding a giggling Harry tightly. He was clearly loving the ride, and it made her smile mirthfully.
"Now, we're gonna have to get back to mom's house. Wonder if she's still cooking after all that happened." She chuckled to herself.
"Miss Gwen, is that scary lady gonna go to jail with my uncle?" Harry asked innocently.
"Probably." She said.
Harry frowned softly then looked back up at her. "She was mad…at her daddy and at that other guy…and you too." He muttered.
Gwen nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. She wasn't very nice."
Harry nodded slowly but said nothing more. Gwen saw she was approaching her parents' house. She clung to the wall of the building. "Wrap your arms around my neck buddy." She ordered lightly and he did so now hanging from her back.
She slowly climbed up to the window to her old room and slowly pushed it up and crawled inside. She pulled her mask off and reached around and hugged the child close giving him a kiss on the temple making him giggle.
She smiled and let out a soft sigh, shaking her head. "Quite a day, huh, Harry?" She said, looking up at the ceiling. Harry nodded.
"A lot of stuff happened..." He agreed.
"Yep. But it's okay. We got through it like a couple of champs." Gwen said with a wink, rubbing his back.
"Champs? Like champions? Are we champions?" Harry asked.
Gwen giggled lightly at that. "You bet." She said. She gently sat him on the bed and rummaged through her closet. She pulled out some clothes and put them on over her costume and smiled at him her outfit now hidden from view.
She walked back over sat on the bed next to him and let out a sigh then winced lightly. "Ow…" she muttered feeling the aftereffects of the beatdown she received from Kraven.
Harry noticed and grew concerned. "Your hurt!" he said worried.
Gwen gave him a grin. "Ah, don't worry about it. This is nothing. I've had beatings, and this is a joke compared to what I went through before."
"You got hurt really bad before?!" Harry said, horrified.
"Well...It's all a part of the hero business..." Gwen said softly.
Harry lowered his head hiding his sad face. "I…I'm sorry…I don't want you to be hurt…being hurt is bad." He muttered.
Gwen smiled softly and gently picked him up and sat him down on her lap making him let out a cute squeak. She ran her fingers through his hair causing him to relax into her hold. "Pain is not fun. I get hurt doing what I do, but that's so no one else will get hurt." She reasoned. Harry looked up at her curiously. "I bare the pain so no one else can suffer. A hero is one who will help all people. If I can make someone smile or safe a life…" she smiled brightly. "Then I'll gladly take the pain in stride."
Harry stared up at her in wonder. He had always considered pain as a bad thing, as something that showed that he did wrong. Yet the way she explained it, had him thinking. Maybe not all pain was so bad…and it showed how truly strong she was. He wanted to be strong too.
He griped her hand tightly in his two little ones making her blink down at him. "T-Then…Let me share the pain…so you won't hurt alone…" he said clearly.
Gwen frowned and tilted her head to the side. "Oh? And what do you mean by that?" She asked curiously.
"I wanna fight bad guys too..." Gwen smiled softly and rubbed his head.
"When you're older." She assured him gently. "Much, MUCH older." Harry looked down sadly. "BUT...I'll tell you what we CAN do." Harry looked back up at her. "I can try and train you, for when the day comes that you're ready to fight crime." Harry gasped.
"Really?!" He said excitedly.
Gwen smiled and rested her cheek on his head. "REALLY really." She said softly. She let out a soft yawn. "We should...probably go down for...dinner..." She said softly, her eyes becoming droopy. Despite her words, she made no effort to get up.
"Mmkay..." Harry replied softly, resting his head on her chest.
And then they both fell asleep on the spot.
After some time, Gwen's mother came upstairs to deal with something before hearing snoring coming from Gwen's old room. Pulling the door open, she looked inside and smiled in relief and delight at the sight. Harry was safe and they were both fast asleep...
After properly tucking them in, the older woman went back downstairs, reasoning they could take some of the dinner home tomorrow. And they could eat breakfast together in the morning.