Chapter 105: The Return of the Symbiote

An hour later, Peter and Gwen were back in the young man's bedroom, both dressed in casual clothes. Sitting at his desk, Gwen had resumed studying the various documents Peter had gathered for her.These notes contained numerous theoretical explanations, along with information she needed to learn and memorize to prepare for her future role as a superhero. Peter, meanwhile, was lying on his bed, taking advantage of this peaceful moment to rest.

— "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask…"

— "Okay…"

After this brief exchange, silence quickly settled over the bedroom once again. Yet despite what their behavior might suggest, neither Peter nor Gwen was truly at ease.

Both were still deeply embarrassed by what had happened an hour earlier, and neither seemed to know how to bring up the subject. So they preferred to focus on their respective activities, allowing a silence to settle between them that seemed peaceful on the surface but was filled with awkwardness.

Gwen, in particular, was having a hard time keeping her thoughts entirely focused on the documents she was studying. Several times, memories of their intimate moment resurfaced in her mind, immediately causing her cheeks to turn bright red. Fortunately for her, Peter couldn't see her face from where he was lying.

But he wasn't feeling much more comfortable himself. Despite his relaxed demeanor and the calm he was trying to maintain, his mind was actually racing with a multitude of conflicting thoughts. He was still struggling to process what they had just experienced together.

— "I can't believe we actually did that."

Still lying down, Peter turned his head slightly toward Gwen. He watched her for a few moments as she sat at his desk, seemingly absorbed in her studies.

But this simple sight was enough to bring back the memories of her naked body, triggering an involuntary physical reaction in him that immediately heightened his embarrassment. He strove to regain his composure, hoping above all that Gwen would notice nothing.

— "We've barely said anything to each other since… maybe I should say something…?"

That thought eventually convinced him that it might be better to break the silence rather than keep avoiding the subject. Peter sat up slightly on his bed and was about to speak to his girlfriend. However, before he could utter a single word, Gwen's phone suddenly rang in the bedroom.

The young girl immediately stopped reading and glanced at her phone, which was lying right beside her on the desk. When she saw Miles Morales's name displayed on the screen, she picked it up and answered without hesitation.

— "Hello? Hey, Miles, how are you? Whoa… slow down, wait, calm down. What's going on? What…? You want us to come to the high school? But why? W-What? No, but wait-"

Peter, who was listening attentively to the conversation from his bed, quickly began to feel a growing sense of concern. He obviously couldn't hear what Miles was saying, but Gwen's successive reactions, along with the increasing confusion in her voice, were enough to give him a bad feeling.

Within seconds, the awkwardness that had lingered between them since returning to the bedroom had almost completely disappeared, replaced by a much more immediate concern. As soon as Gwen ended the call, Peter sat up further and questioned her.

— "What's going on? What did Miles tell you?"

— "I don't know, I didn't understand anything. He just told me to tell you that we need to meet him at the high school's entrance. It's important. Do you think it's something serious?" she asked worriedly.

— "I hope not!"

Without wasting any more time, Peter got out of bed and retrieved his web-shooters from his bag. He quickly fastened them to his wrists, then looked up at Gwen, clearly determined to meet Miles as soon as possible.

— "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on, get changed! Let's go meet them!"

— "O-Oh, yeah! Right, we can't exactly go out dressed like this…"

The two teenagers immediately sprang into action. While Peter changed into his usual clothes in his bedroom, Gwen returned to hers to get changed as well. It only took them a few minutes to finish getting ready, and once they were prepared, they left the house and headed into a neighborhood alleyway, away from prying eyes.

Before leaving, Peter turned toward Gwen to give her another instruction. Even though their priority was now to find Miles, he hadn't forgotten that she needed to gradually learn how to master her own abilities. This trip would therefore provide another opportunity to show her how he used his webs to travel.

— "During the trip, make sure you watch how I swing using my webs. It'll be good visual training, okay?"

— "Okay!"

Peter then wrapped an arm around Gwen's waist and suddenly pulled her close against him so he could carry her. The movement brought them close enough for their eyes to meet, and for a brief moment, they both fell silent.

Their closeness almost immediately reminded them of what had happened in the shower. The memory resurfaced so spontaneously that both their cheeks turned red at the same time. Embarrassed by the thought they were clearly sharing, they almost immediately looked away, neither attempting to make the slightest comment.

Then, without waiting any longer, Peter launched himself into the air with Gwen held close against him. Using his web-shooters, he quickly gained altitude and began swinging between the buildings, carrying them both toward the city and their high school, where Miles was waiting for them.

The day was now drawing to a close, and across Manhattan, the last rays of sunlight had gradually given way to the darkness of evening. After crossing part of the city by swinging between buildings, Peter and Gwen finally arrived on the rooftop of a building near their high school.

Peter landed carefully and gently released Gwen before they both began examining their surroundings. Yet, to their great surprise, the area around the school appeared completely deserted. There were no students, no pedestrians near the gate, and, most importantly, no sign of Miles, who had specifically asked them to come meet him urgently.

The two teenagers exchanged puzzled glances, then discreetly climbed down from the rooftop to reach the street. They continued on foot toward the high school's entrance, scanning their surroundings in the hope of spotting their friend.

The school was immersed in the unusual quiet of summer vacation. Behind the gates, the buildings stood silently, while the streetlights cast an orange glow over the sidewalk and the area surrounding the entrance. The usual bustle of students had completely disappeared, leaving behind an almost eerie atmosphere in a place they were accustomed to seeing so lively.

As they continued looking around for Miles, Peter was suddenly overcome by an exceptionally powerful yawn that he couldn't even suppress.

— "Wow… that was one hell of a yawn."

— "In case you've forgotten, we didn't sleep."

— "'We'? What do you mean, 'we'? I was the one studying while you were sleeping! I should be the one yawning!"

— "I'm actually wondering how you haven't yawned even once all day… anyway, do you see Miles anywhere?"

Gwen let out a faint sigh before turning her attention back to their surroundings.

— "No, not at all."

They continued examining the area for a few moments, growing increasingly puzzled by their friend's absence. But just as they approached the gate, two figures suddenly jumped out from behind it.

— "BOO!" Miles and Anya shouted.

Caught completely off guard, Peter and Gwen jumped violently in surprise. In front of them, Miles and Anya immediately burst into laughter, clearly delighted with their little performance. They high-fived each other to celebrate their success, making absolutely no attempt to hide their satisfaction at the other two's reactions.

— "You two are such a pain in the ass! You know that?!"

— "Yeah, we love you too!" Anya replied mockingly.

Peter let out an irritated growl. After being dragged away from his rest to come all the way here, he particularly disliked discovering that his friends had found it amusing to give them such a fright. Nevertheless, he tried to put his annoyance aside to understand why they were there.

— "But seriously, what's going on, Miles? Why did you want to see us so urgently? And why is Anya here?"

— "Actually… I lied. Sorry, Gwen. There was nothing urgent."

— "Huh?"

— "I was bored as hell, so I called Miles to hang out, but we were just as bored together as we were alone, so we decided to call you guys. Well… HE decided."

— "W-What?! She's lying! It was her idea!"

Miles and Anya immediately pointed at each other, each blaming the other for the idea with almost perfectly synchronized spontaneity.

Peter stared at them in disbelief. For a few seconds, he seemed to be searching for a reasonable explanation for what he had just heard. But the more he thought about it, the more irritated he became.

— "are you fucking kidding me? You're telling me you made us come all the way here, to the high school, at night, during summer vacation?! Seriously?!"

— "Oh, come on, I don't see why you're complaining! This is your natural habitat, isn't it?!"

That remark pushed Peter's patience to its absolute limit. Already exhausted from his lack of sleep and their long day, he no longer had much patience left for Anya's provocations.

— "Oh, for fuck's sake, you little…!"

He suddenly lunged toward her, clearly ready to make her pay for her joke. But before he could reach her, Gwen firmly held him back, preventing him from going any farther. She then turned toward their two friends with a slightly embarrassed laugh, trying to calm the situation.

— "Sorry about him. He's a little… tense," she said with a soft laugh. "We didn't really sleep last night, and today hasn't exactly been relaxing either, so we're tired."

— "Especially me!"

At this explanation, Miles and Anya immediately exchanged mischievous glances. Their imaginations seemed to have taken a very different direction from what Gwen had intended with her words. Gwen, however, failed to notice the implication and remained completely unaware of what they were imagining.

Anya finally spoke again, bringing the conversation back to the real reason they were standing in front of the school.

— "Anyway, we actually brought you here because we're planning to explore the high school."

Upon hearing this suggestion, Peter slowly lowered his head before burying his face in his hands. He wished he could say he was surprised by such an absurd idea, but coming from Miles and Anya, he had to admit it was exactly the kind of thing he could expect from them.

He remained like that for a few moments, trying to contain his exasperation, before raising his head slightly.

— "Whose idea was this?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Miles and Anya pointed at each other once again, recreating exactly the same scene from a few moments earlier.

Peter stared at them with an expression of utter defeat.

— "Well, that answers my question…"

Gwen, for her part, seemed far less bothered by the situation. Although she hadn't exactly planned on spending her evening at the high school, she clearly preferred to prevent the discussion from escalating any further. However, the exhaustion was finally beginning to catch up with her as well.

— "Well… since we're already here, why don't we just go? But let's not stay too long. I'm really starting to get tired…" she finally said with a yawn.

Peter immediately turned toward her, almost outraged by what he had just witnessed. After an entire night spent studying without getting a wink of sleep, followed by a particularly busy day, Gwen had only just let out her first real yawn.

— "You've gotta be kidding me… she's only yawning NOW?!"

— "OKAY, OKAY! Well then, come on!"

With those words, Anya took the lead and headed toward the high school's doors, inviting the others to follow her. Miles quickly followed behind, while Peter and Gwen, despite their exhaustion and reservations, eventually joined them.

A few moments later, the four teenagers entered the school, without suspecting for even a second that they were being watched.

For on the rooftop of a neighboring building, concealed in the darkness, an ominous figure was carefully following their movements. Motionless in the shadows, this terrifying being was waiting for the right moment, ready to strike.

The symbiote was there.

And this time, it was ready to attack.

Inside the high school, the four friends were now making their way through the dimly lit hallways. Their footsteps echoed against the floors and walls, breaking the silence that filled the deserted building. To find their way, each of them used their phone's flashlight, casting small beams of light across the lockers, classroom doors, and intersections they passed.

In this unusual atmosphere, their little outing almost felt like exploring a haunted place. The spaces they knew so well seemed completely different without their usual lighting and the bustle of students.

As they made their way forward, they tried opening several doors to discover what might be behind them. However, most were locked, preventing them from accessing much of the school. So they simply continued wandering through the hallways, without any particularly clear objective.

And the more time passed, the harder it became for Peter to understand why they were even there.

— "Okay… I don't want to be a buzzkill, but let me sum this up: you called us on a summer vacation evening to come to school, and now we're just wandering around the hallways like a bunch of idiots? Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous?"

At this remark, Miles and Gwen exchanged slightly embarrassed glances. Despite their best intentions, they couldn't really argue with Peter's reasoning.

— "I mean, he's not wrong…"

— "Indeed…"

Anya, who was beginning to notice the group's growing boredom, immediately expressed her annoyance. She clearly had no intention of letting their evening end with a pointless walk through the school and quickly searched for another idea to keep them entertained.

— "You guys are bored? Okay, then I've got a game for you!"

A few minutes later, silence had returned to the high school's hallways.

The four teenagers had scattered throughout the school, each going their separate way to participate in the game Anya had suggested. They had all disappeared into different parts of the building.

All except Peter.

Chosen to search for the others, the young man was now walking alone through the dark hallways. Surrounded by long rows of lockers, he used his phone's flashlight to illuminate his path, carefully inspecting every corner and attempting to open the doors of any classrooms he could still access.

He moved slowly, scanning the shadowy spaces for the slightest clue that might reveal where one of his three friends was hiding.

But as his search dragged on, his irritation only grew. Eventually, he let out a deep sigh.

— "Fuck… I can't believe I'm at school in the middle of summer vacation, playing hide-and-seek in the dark. And I'M the one who has to look for everyone, too! And then there's Anya, who…"

The mere memory of Anya's jokes and teasing drew another frustrated growl from him. He continued walking, still just as annoyed by an evening he would have much preferred to spend resting at home.

— "For fuck's sake, just because I'm good at school doesn't mean I want to be here all the time!"

As he continued searching, a voice suddenly echoed from somewhere deep within the hallway.

A voice that sounded familiar to him, yet something about its tone was strangely unsettling.

— "PETER!"

— "Huh?"

Peter immediately stopped in his tracks. The call seemed to be coming from farther ahead, beyond the area illuminated by his phone. He raised his device slightly, directing the beam of light in that direction to try to spot someone.

But he couldn't make out anything other than the deserted hallway and the shadows stretching beyond his light.

Convinced that one of his friends had just given away their hiding place, he decided to answer anyway.

— "Guys, you do realize we're playing hide-and-seek, right…? The whole point is NOT to tell me where you're hiding, but hey… I'm not complaining. At least we'll be able to go home sooner. So get ready… here I come!"

— "Come on, Peter! Come find us!"

This new invitation prompted him to quicken his pace, then break into a run toward the direction the voice had come from. His shoes struck the floor rapidly as the beam from his phone swept across the lockers and walls around him.

Yet as he advanced, one detail began to bother him.

There was something unusual about that voice. It sounded familiar enough that he had initially thought he recognized one of his friends, but the more he heard it, the less convincing that impression became.

Peter slowed down slightly, trying to figure out what was bothering him.

— "What's with that voice? That's not Miles, Gwen, or Anya, is it?"

He looked around, searching for a silhouette in the darkness. But the hallways remained completely empty. His initial irritation began to give way to a growing sense of suspicion.

— "Okay, seriously, guys, where the hell are you?!"

He didn't have time to receive an answer.

Suddenly, an enormous tentacle burst violently out of the darkness and struck him with terrifying force. Caught completely off guard, Peter was sent flying across the hallway before crashing brutally into a row of metal lockers.

The impact echoed throughout the corridor, accompanied by the deafening crash of metal doors bending under the force. A sharp pain shot through Peter's body, drawing a groan of pain mixed with surprise and confusion from him.

Still dazed by the sudden and unexpected attack, he struggled to regain his senses and painfully raised his head toward the direction the blow had come from.

— "W-What the hell is going on?! What was that?!"

That was when a massive silhouette slowly began emerging from the darkness.

As it advanced, its imposing frame gradually took shape in the hallway's faint light. There was nothing human about this presence, and Peter immediately felt his anxiety growing, unable to clearly make out what was standing before him.

— "Well done, Peter. You finally found us!"

Peter raised his eyes further, staring in astonishment at the enormous creature now standing before him. He recognized that appearance, that voice, and, above all, that threatening presence. Yet he had been convinced he'd gotten rid of it.

For a few moments, he remained frozen, unable to believe what he was seeing.

— "The… the symbiote?!"

— "Very perceptive!"

Clearly amused by Peter's reaction, the creature gave him no more time to understand what was happening. Another symbiotic tentacle suddenly erupted from its body and shot straight toward the young man, ready to strike him a second time.

TO BE CONTINUED.