Cindy was sat on the roof of the warehouse, as Liv had shown her the emergency escapes. Curled up, with her legs tucked under her chin, she had wrapped her arms around them and buried her face into her knees.

She heard the hatch open, and the scent of someone she didn’t recognise approached her, uncaring that she wanted to be left alone.

“So, hey Cindy,” Gwen said, and sat on the edge with her, popping the top off a bottle and setting it down next to her.

Taking a swig of her own beer, she sighed and shrugged, “So, that didn’t go well” and Cindy sobbed.

Get the fuck out of my home, Felicia had screamed at her, Huntress covered her and in a flash she was up and had grabbed Cindy by the neck, lifting her up. Throwing her through the door Cindy stared in shock as Huntress slammed the door on her and Liv just pointed to what looked like a hatch and up she went.

“Yeah, thought so.” and as she tapped her own bottle against Cindy’s the klink made her look up. With raw red eyes, Gwen just looked and frowned “yeah, that’s attractive, blow your nose and drink up.”

“Why?” and Gwen shrugged,

“The beer’s better when it's cold,” and Cindy snorted,

“Why are you being nice to me? Peter made it clear you all hate me, even he said this on sufferance. The only one who has been nice is Olivia.” and Gwen stared at her bottle, swirling around the liquid inside before taking a drink.

“I don’t care you’re here. I had a great time in school. Pete suffered more than anyone, but Felicia. And yeah, it’s fine if I tell you, she knows, and well, yeah. Your name, it wasn’t queen bitch, it was queen snitch. Felicia was really gay, I mean, I knew I was bi from day one, seeing Pete or MJ got that motor running, but Felicia, she spent her school life being alone and afraid, afraid someone like you would find out. I mean, look at what Flash and his little group did to Pete, imagine being outed as gay,” Gwen took a drink, “that would have been a bloodbath, a real literal one. Felicia was not a passive person.”

Cindy wiped her eyes with the side of her hand, “then she should know, know what it’s like. I couldn’t say anything. Flash was just as much of an asshole to us” and as she took a swig of the beer she coughed, “what the hell is this?” and Gwen laughed,

“Yeah, Pete doesn’t like bitter stuff either, Silk probably gets that from him.”

“I’m nothing like him,” Cindy spat  and forced herself to drink,

“Oh yeah? Because I know that’s bullshit. See, Pete was Webbs first host, so all his powers, all his baggage comes from him. Flash dealt with it, and you’re dealing with Flash and Pete’s crap. We know the symbiotes transfer knowledge that way, so,” and Gwen stood and ran a hand over her hair,

“Here’s the deal. Liv reminded us that Peter and Flash got over their issues, and that part of growing up is doing the same. Make amends, make everyone know you’re sorry. This isn’t a lecture or a threat. I really don’t care, and honestly, neither should Felicia. You’re gay, nobody cares. She’s got four women in her life. Shit, she’s almost as bad as Pete, and if she likes you then one more isn’t going to bother anyone.”

Cindy stared, “four? I mean, I thought he was joking, but really?” and Gwen nodded,

“Me, Liv, Elektra, and Emma.”

“He sleeps with all four of you” and Gwen laughed,

“No, that’s Felicia, Pete sleeps with more. Liv figured out a long time ago that while symbiotes like aggression chemicals, they prefer sex ones. A huge dopamine hit gets them stoked. If you don’t want to, then chocolate works just as well.”

Cindy was well aware of that, eating hundreds of dollars of chocolate a month to keep Silk happy and calm. The only woman in the group was Hope, who was firmly in Scott’s camp.

“So, Felicia?” and Gwen sighed,

“That was dumb, I mean, imagine if Flash said the same thing to Peter after seeing him for the first time. I get it, we all do. But still, dumb,” and as Gwen stuck out a hand Cindy looked at it and took it, pulling herself up.

“Apologise, maybe some food as a token gesture, but don’t push it. We do things differently now, and Emma was only after Felicia let Pete know, to be honest, we kinda expected Pete to take the lead on that but yeah, that’s the other thing. Working for us, and I do mean that, you see some shit Cindy, I mean real bottom of the barrel barf your lunch stuff. Are you sure you want this?” and Cindy nodded,

“But uh, I work for Liv” and Gwen laughed and shook her head,

“No, you’re working for Parker Inc. You work for Peter, and we all work for him, his little minions,” and Cindy frowned as she caught a look in Gwen’s eye. Gwen shook her head, “I don’t think Pete would go for the yellow,” and she laughed to herself. “Look, it’s a job, it’s stable and it pays well. I mean, Pete got rights to vibranium, and while that means every whackjob might try for a piece of us, we’re not exactly poor.”

Liv had worked on a plan, and as Peter, Curt, Gwen and Liv discussed it, they had set out the future of Parker Inc. It would take five years for the company to establish itself, minimum. 

They were small, with a highly experienced staff but that was their only staff. Even with the various formulas, Livs arcstar work, the harness and the CLS they still needed to get it manufactured to a high enough standard to sell. The Stark Expo was for demonstrations, now the real task began, and it was up to Liv and Peter to make good on their work.

Gwen sighed and looked down at the despondent Cindy. She could feel the waves of sorrow, and after a few sessions with Peter, they were all starting to develop the newer powers. He had suggested giving the symbiote the customary bath in his symbcells but Gwen had looked at him, and taken them the original way, with grunting and sweating, and lots and lots of pleasure. As she lost herself in the memory, Cindy cleared her throat,

“I can smell that, and I figured what it was once Scott and Hope came back looking guilty. Can you not?” and Gwen laughed, 

“You're in no luck there. Pete has eight of us, and his room is soundproof. Don't like the smell? Then figure out how to coat yourself in Silk twenty-four-seven. We did. Pete gives off a pheromone, hell without it you’d be wanting him too, gay or not. So deal. That's what you're here for, to learn, to adapt and to get a grip on your powers. If Felicia forgives you, good for you, but we don't owe you anything past your job.”

Gwen figured that was the wrong thing, as the cold loneliness stabbed at her like a sharp icicle, “Shit Cindy. We found out most of the people we knew from high school are either powered or connected to some powered assholes. You turn up, just hits all the wrong buttons.”

“Not just us?” and Gwen nodded,

“Jean and Scott, Harry, Flash, oh Miss Munroe” and Cindy stared,

“Jean? Jean Grey?” and much quieter, “shit, Jean fucking Grey,” and Gwen laughed,

“Her too, right?” and Cindy looked shocked but nodded,

“Oh yeah, she’s hot, but no. Do not bring this up with her. Please. Not a threat but her powers are a bit unstable, she might I dunno, explode or something.”

“Seriously?” and Gwen nodded,

“Other than that, nobody cares. Get a girlfriend, get two. We don’t mind.” and Cindy shook her head,

“I mind. I mean, you? Gwen Stacy, straight A miss fucking priss, is a lesbian?” and Gwen frowned and shook her head,

“See, really? And so what if I am, not just a lesbian, I mean, Pete could bend me over right now and I’d wink and let you watch. You’ll find the symbiotes kill your sense of shame. They don't know any better and really don't care.” and as Gwen paused for a moment, “and I discovered, that really, neither do I, not for the cute ones anyway.”

Cindy stepped back and sat on the roof's edge, “I know, I deal with that. The anger, the rage, the bloodlust. How?” and Gwen shook her head,

“Yeah, it's not like that for us. Poison and I have killed, some rapist asshole, oh and Harry, but lust yes, blood no. Get fixed, and get laid. Silk will be much happier once you do. We don’t care if you're a killer Cindy, just don't bring that here.” Gwen took a swig of her beer, “you know what?” and as she smiled at Cindy she took out her phone, sent Peter a text and laughed, “fixed.” Gwen moved and crouched before Cindy, resting a hand on her thigh. “If you feel the need, the desire to kill. Come find me or Liv, and you won't be able to walk once we’ve finished with you.”

Cindy leaned back, “I can't. What if? I could kill you,” and Gwen stood and drained the last of her beer, winking, 

“oh? Who said we’d be fighting?” and giving Cindy a look she couldn’t mistake for anything other than desire, Gwen laughed.

Cindy blushed, and Gwen just shrugged, “Bi, when Liv said Bi she meant it. The symbiotes alter your brain chemistry slightly, ramp up the dopamine and reward centres when you're around someone you like, and get really pissy when it's someone you don't. Felicia probably reacted that way as your new and Huntress didn’t like you coming into her territory.” and Cindy wrapped her arms around her legs again,

“Silk made me kill someone,” she admitted, and Gwen raised an eyebrow but shrugged.

"Poison used to almost put me in a coma every time I ate sugar. They can be temperamental but once they grow a bit, and if Silk is hurt, then once we fix that, she should calm down.” and Cindy nodded,

“And if she doesn't, then we separate you and she gets to live on an iguana,” Gwen stated and Silk wrapped around Cindy who backflipped away, and with talons drawn, hissed at her.

“See.” And Poison wrapped around Gwen, “Now,” and she held out a canister, “We do this nice and slowly.” and as Silk hissed and got ready to pounce, Poison slipped into the canister and Gwen shook as the symbiote unbonded itself.

“First thing, trust. I need Silk, Liv needs to run the tests so I volunteered. You’ll get Poison. Trust.” and Silk stood, holding up both hands in her fighting pose, but warily lowered them

“Trust.” Silk hissed and as Gwen moved forwards with a raised hand Silk took it and slithered over her.

Poison had been asked and had agreed. She liked new hosts, and she liked it when she got to share with Gwen once more, so as she coiled and sprung as Cindy, who yelped in surprise, she laughed as they bonded.

We feel you Cindy, and we taste you, yum yum

Yeah, that’s a bit creepy, want to not?

Want to, and Poison laughed, we take your thoughts, of Felicia, and sneaky sneaking in the lockers, what to not? We can give her to you, get the rubby rubs and the slippy slides, just let us, let us take you.

What the hell? Cindy had been used to Silk's barely conscious presence, not a fully-fledged adult who’d shared over a half dozen hosts. Poison wrapped herself around Cindy’s thoughts and as she shared the times Gwen had spent with Felicia, and Cindy lost herself in the ecstasy, Poison laughed.

Now we get to have the treaty treats and not the boring worky work.

And finding her new host was not as resistant to her suggestions, shot out a line, and swung out into the city for some fun.