Chapter 178: Across the Spider-Verse (3)  

Inside the helicopter, the officers frantically called for help. "Mayday! Mayday! We're hit! We're headed for the ground!" The radio crackled with urgency. "Clear the building!"

Gwen, spotting the descending helicopter, saw that it was on a collision course with a crowd of civilians, including her father. She acted instinctively, shooting webs in every direction to create a sticky net, hoping to slow the helicopter's fall.

The two police officers inside the helicopter, realizing the imminent crash, leaped out. Gwen, her heart pounding, tried to secure the helicopter, but it was descending too fast.

Miguel, recovering from the explosion, saw Gwen's struggle. He nodded at her, signaling that she should continue her efforts with the helicopter. He then webbed the falling officers, pulling them to safety just in time.

With Miguel's help, Gwen managed to stabilize the helicopter, sticking it firmly to her web net. The civilians below, including Captain George Stacy, watched in awe and relief as the helicopter came to a halt, suspended safely by the webbing.

But suddenly, the webbing started to give way under the weight of the helicopter. Gwen, realizing the imminent danger, had no choice but to add more webbing to secure it.

Gwen strained as she shot more webs, her muscles aching from the effort. "Aurgh!" she groaned.

Miguel, seeing Gwen struggle, swung over to help. He added his own webs to reinforce the net. "Aurgh!" he echoed her strain.

Jessica, having finished helping the civilians, saw the dire situation. She lunged forward with her motorbike, using its momentum to add more webbing to the net. "Aurgh!" she shouted, joining their effort.

The civilians below gulped nervously as the helicopter wobbled, almost hitting them. But the combined strength of their webs finally stabilized the aircraft, preventing a catastrophe.

After securing the helicopter, Miguel spotted Vulture, still injured from the explosion. He swiftly webbed him up, ensuring he couldn't escape. Miguel then glanced at Gwen in the distance, murmuring, "That's what I was gonna do."

Gwen, exhausted, was panting and kneeling on the ground, trying to catch her breath. Suddenly, Captain George Stacy appeared in front of her, his gun drawn.

"Hands in the air!" George commanded.

Gwen, still wearing her mask, looked up at her father. "Captain, come on."

"Suspect is armed." George said, his voice tense.

Gwen attempted to web him again, but her web shooters clicked empty. "With what? I'm out of webs."

"Get down on the ground." George ordered.

"Which is it? Hands in the air or get down on the ground?" Gwen asked, frustration edging her voice.

George's expression hardened. "You're under arrest."

Gwen, still in her Spider-Woman mask, protested, "I just saved a bunch of people!"

"For the murder of Peter Parker." George said, his tone unyielding.

Gwen's voice trembled. "For the murder of Peter Parker," she repeated softly, almost to herself. "Come on."

"You have the right to remain silent." George continued, his training taking over.

"You don't understand!" Gwen pleaded.

George fired a warning shot into the air, making her flinch. "You don't understand what!." he said more forcefully.

Gwen, seeing no other option, took off her mask. "Dad." she said, her voice breaking.

George stared in shock, the realization hitting him like a punch to the gut. Spider-Woman was his daughter. "Gwen?"

"I've thought about telling you," Gwen said, tears welling in her eyes. "But you can see why I didn't want to. You can see why I didn't wanna tell you."

George stood there, his face a mixture of betrayal and confusion. His world had just been turned upside down, and he didn't know how to process the revelation.

Gwen continued, her voice shaking, "I wanted to protect you. To protect everyone."

Gwen looked at her father, her voice trembling with emotion. "Also...I didn't murder Peter." she panted. The large museum room around them was filled with the remnants of the battle—debris scattered everywhere, statues toppled, and paintings askew. Dust floated in the beams of light filtering through the shattered windows.

George's eyes were filled with hurt and confusion. "How long have you been lying to me?" he asked, standing rigidly, his police badge gleaming under the museum lights.

Gwen's desperation was palpable. "Can you just not be a cop for a second and be my dad here and listen to me?" She pleaded, stepping closer. "Do you really think I'm a murderer?"

George stood silently, the weight of his daughter's words sinking in. The echoes of the earlier chaos hung in the air, a stark contrast to the stillness now.

"You're in this to help people, right? Right? Well, so am I," Gwen continued, her voice breaking. "And the way to help right now is to listen to me."

George's face hardened again, and he aimed his gun at her. "You have the right to remain silent."

"What?" Gwen gasped, stepping back in shock, her mask now hanging loosely in her hand.

Tears welled up in George's eyes. "Anything you say can and will…"

"Dad, are you really this afraid of me?" Gwen asked, her heart breaking, taking another step closer.

George's voice wavered. "You have the right to an attorney."

"Dad, stop!" Gwen shouted, her voice echoing through the museum as she tried to approach him.

"Don't get any closer." George warned, his gun shaking in his hand.

Suddenly, Miguel swung in from above, his red and blue suit gleaming. He webbed George's gun and flung it away, the weapon skidding across the marble floor. In a swift motion, he used his device to trap George in a containment box, the transparent walls shimmering around him.

George pounded on the walls of the box, bewildered. "Huh, what?..." The containment box stood in stark contrast to the ancient and artistic surroundings, its high-tech appearance almost out of place.

"Dad!" Gwen cried, her voice filled with anguish. She took a step toward the containment box, her hands trembling.

Jessica Drew, in her black and red suit, approached Gwen, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey, hey. Come on. Just breathe. We got you. Right, Miguel?" The faint hum of Jessica's bike could be heard in the background, parked hastily near the museum entrance.

Miguel, checking his watch, said, "LYLA, scan this mess."

Lyla, appearing as a small hologram above his wrist, responded, "No further anomalies. Canon remains intact."

Jessica turned to Miguel. "We can't just leave her here." she insisted, her voice firm yet compassionate.

Miguel threw Vulture through a dimensional portal, ensuring he was out of their dimension. The portal shimmered with a multicolored light before closing. "She's doing this on her own." he replied.

Gwen watched her father, trapped in the containment box, their eyes locked in a painful moment of understanding and loss. Around them, the museum's grandeur seemed to fade, overshadowed by the raw emotions between father and daughter.

"I don't know how to fix this." Gwen whispered, her voice barely audible over the distant sirens and the murmurs of the evacuated civilians.

Miguel sighed, tossing a dimensional travel watch to Gwen. "Yeah. Well, join the club." he said, his tone carrying the weight of his own burdens.

Gwen caught the watch, glancing at it before looking back at her father. The watch was sleek, with a glowing interface that hinted at the countless dimensions it could access. "Goodbye, Dad."

George's voice cracked with desperation. "Gwen! Gwen! Gwen!" he shouted, his hands pressed against the inside of the box.

But it was too late. Gwen, Miguel, and Jessica stepped through the portal, leaving George standing alone in the containment box, the echo of his daughter's departure ringing in his ears. The portal closed behind them with a soft whoosh, leaving the museum in silence except for the faint sound of George's desperate calls.

.....

In the heart of New York City, the day was anything but typical. Skyscrapers towered above, their glass windows reflecting the chaos below as pedestrians hurriedly evacuated the streets. Sirens wailed in the distance, their sound echoing through the concrete canyons. Amidst this chaos, two Spider-Men were locked in a fierce battle against a deadly duo of mutant villains.

Michael Wilson, also known as The Legendary Spider-Man, swung from building to building with effortless grace. His black suit and piercing blue eyes cut a striking figure against the city's backdrop. His partner, Peter Parker aka the Red Spider-Man, moved with equal agility, his red and blue suit a blur as he dodged and weaved through the battlefield.

The villains were formidable. One woman, with a deadly ability to spew poison from her mouth, had already claimed the lives of several police officers. The other, an ice mutant, wielded her powers to freeze anything and anyone in her path. The air was thick with tension, and the ground was littered with frozen and melted debris.

Michael landed on a streetlight, observing the poison mutant. "Damn, I didn't know a woman could be this vicious." he muttered, his voice steady despite the chaos.

Peter Parker, currently engaged with the ice mutant, replied, "Yeah, don't get me started with this ice girl." He narrowly avoided an icy blast, flipping gracefully over a police car.

The poison mutant sneered at them. "Look who it is, the Legendary Spider-Man and his sidekick."

The ice mutant joined in, her voice dripping with mockery. "More like sidetrash."

Peter bristled. "Hey, I'm not trash... If I am trash, then you are a... um, food waster? Or waste materials that put into... trash, I guess."

Michael paused mid-fight to facepalm. "Really? That's the best you could come up with?"

The poison mutant saw her chance and lunged at Michael, her venomous mouth wide open. Michael quickly somersaulted backwards, his movements fluid and precise. He landed on the streetlight again and shot a web at her, tangling her up and sticking her to the ground. The streetlight flickered, casting eerie shadows over the scene.

Seeing a nearby fire hydrant, Peter quickly formulated a plan. He swung over to the hydrant and delivered a powerful kick, causing it to burst open. Water sprayed everywhere, quickly pooling on the street. With a deft movement, he used his organic webbing to guide the water towards the ice mutant. The water flowed over her, freezing her in place as it solidified.

"Nice work, partner." Michael called out from his perch, his voice carrying over the din of the city.

"Thanks, Captain." Peter responded, feeling a surge of confidence.

Suddenly, the poison mutant broke free from her webbing, hissing angrily. "You're going to pay for that!" she screamed, lunging at Michael again. This time, Michael anticipated her move. He leaped into the air, flipping over her and landing a powerful kick to her back, sending her sprawling to the ground. The impact of the kick created a small crater in the asphalt.

Peter, seeing the ice mutant starting to thaw, quickly webbed her hands together, immobilizing her. "I think it's time you both cool off." he quipped, his voice steady despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

Michael swung down next to him, the two of them standing tall over the subdued villains. The city's skyscrapers loomed over them, silent witnesses to the battle that had just unfolded. "Not bad, partner. But work on those comebacks."

Peter grinned under his mask. "I'll try. It's harder than it looks when it comes to women hehehe I'm shy."

Michael thought, "Well, what can I say? Teenager."

As they waited for the authorities to arrive and take the mutants into custody, the two Spider-Men couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Despite the grim situation, they had managed to save lives and stop the villains from causing more harm. The city's skyline, now bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun, seemed to stand as a testament to their efforts.

"Another day, another crisis averted." Michael said, looking out over the city.

"Yeah," Peter agreed, looking up to his mentor. "And maybe next time, if I face a girl, I'll have a better comeback ready."

Michael chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "Yeah I know you will, Pete."

What will happen when Michael Wilson, the legendary Spider-Man, and Peter Parker, known as The Red Spider-Man, find themselves facing off as the multiverse once again spirals into chaos? Stay tuned for the next chapter to witness the epic showdown. See you there!

To be continue

....

I've just finished editing the chapter, but my brain and eyes are killing me. My head is pounding, and I probably can't post tomorrow as planned. As I mentioned earlier, I need to go to the hospital for a check-up to determine what illness I have. Well, I didn't go for a check-up because I thought it was just a normal flu. I apologize to my readers that I won't be able to upload another chapter right now due to my ongoing health issues. Thank you all for your understanding and continued support. 

I'm sorry for any mistakes in this chapter; my sickness has made it difficult to focus on editing properly.