The Spider and The Chef

by ShowShine

A Beginning

Peni Parker needed to leave. She hated it here. She hated this building; she hated this dimension! Peni jammed random numbers into her web-watch. It was her own web-watch, of course. Self-made. She couldn’t risk being followed, now could she? Peni didn’t care where she went. She just didn’t want to be here.

A portal blasted open, swirling with colors much too bright for her eyes. Peni squinted, blocking the light from her eyes.

She turned around, taking one last look at her bedroom. Looking at your past was meant to be comforting, but this felt more lonely. No one to say goodbye to. No one she wanted to say bye to, anyway.

Peni looked back at the swirling portal. Well…this was it. She inhaled deeply, stepping through the portal.

It felt like pins and needles shooting through her body. Peni shuddered, instinctively holding her breath. She’d never get used to the feeling of crossing dimensions.

Colors blurred past her in a whirl, making her eyes burn. Peni squeezed her eyes shut, feeling herself zip through dimensions.

She stumbled from the portal, collapsing to her knees. She pressed her palms against the cold concrete, letting out shuddery breaths. The portal zipped closed, sounding like doors slamming shut.

Peni looked up, taking in her new surroundings. The air smelled crisp yet earthy. It was as if it had just stopped raining. Everyone around her looked…odd. Their skin was of strange colors. Colors that human skin should never be.

She got up, brushing the pebbles from her skirt. Other than the strange-colored humans, this world seemed normal. This dimension was nothing like her own. Instead of dull colors, everything was much more radiant, almost as if it were more whimsical.

The girl curiously stared at her web-watch. Where had this thing taken her? She was almost tempted to check; it would be the easy solution.

Peni huffed, furrowing her brows. She turned off her web-watch. She was the one and only SP//dr; she could figure out a new dimension without spider technology.

---

Peni wandered the streets, taking in her new surroundings. It had been a few days, and nothing had happened. No daily villains, no fighting, just…quiet. It was surprising to her. This was the first dimension she had been that was entirely peaceful.

Even weirder, there was no Spiderman protecting anyone. Though that was a standard concept for many, it was still strange to her. Sure, Peni knew that every dimension didn’t exactly need a hero, but it was still new territory for her.

She sighed, leaning her head back on a park bench. As happy as she should have been, she couldn’t help but feel a dull ache in her chest. Peni should be relieved that she didn’t have to do anything. This was the break she needed!

Peni crossed her arms, closing her eyes. She wanted to at least feel something. She said, peering down at her hands. They were rough and calloused from her days on the streets.

She sighed once again, closing her eyes. A chilly breeze washed over her. A little more time in this dimension is just what she needed.

---

Snow gently fell from the sky, coating the city streets. Peni stumbled through the streets of Canterlot City, her body trembling. She felt numb, though she didn’t know why. She had been here for God knows how long. Weeks, she presumed.

Peni rubbed her cold hands over her eyes. On her hand laid a little white speck. A snowflake? Had it been snowing? Peni looked around, finally taking in her surroundings.

Sure enough, it was snowing. Peni looked up at the clouds, feeling snowflakes hit her skin. The sky was filled with thick, dark clouds. It looked like there would be a blizzard at any moment.

Peni looked at the people around her. The people of this dimension seemed so happy. She watched as several families walked past. A frown spread across her face.

Her stomach gurgled, breaking her thoughts. She doubled over, clutching her stomach. Her legs felt like they were going to give out at any moment. Peni looked around for a place to rest. Her eyes landed on an alleyway. She stumbled towards the alley, relieved she was away from that stifling crowd.

She clutched her aching stomach, sliding to the wintry ground. She felt far too weak. She looked at her web-watch, running her fingers across the smooth metal. The screen was cracked, nearly chipping away at her fingers.

There was no point in going back, was there? There was no doubt in her mind that the Spider Society had already noticed her disappearance. It was best to wait here; there was no point in leaving now.

She’d be dragged back to her dimension, forced to take the role of SP//dr once again. While this wasn’t anything close to what Peni wanted, it was something she had to live with.

Peni stared at the ground, watching the snow gently fall before her. Snowflakes fluttered onto her clothes, melting through her clothes. If she sat here much longer, she was sure to be buried. She closed her eyes, embracing her fate.

The snow above came to a sudden halt, catching Peni by surprise. Did it stop snowing already? It just started. She looked up to see a boy with gray skin. He held an umbrella over her head, staring at her with concern written across his face.

“You alright?” The boy asked. Peni looked back at the ground, only replying with a shrug. The boy extended his hand.

“I’m Rumble.” He introduced. She glanced at his hand, wearily taking it.

“Parker,” Peni replied simply. Rumble’s hand was warm. So warm that she didn’t want to let go. But of course, she had to.

Rumble eyed Peni curiously, a subtle frown spreading on his face.

“You look pretty cold.” Rumble pointed out. “Do you want some hot cocoa? It’ll be my treat.”

Peni wanted to scoff and roll her eyes. She didn’t need help; she needed to be left alone. She opened her mouth, ready to reject the poor boy.

An all too knowable tingle spread across the back of her head. Her breath hitched. Behind Rumble, she could see someone familiar.

Peter B. Parker.

He looked around, presumably looking for her. Peni looked back at Rumble. He was going to be her chance at freedom.

“Sure!” Peni said, a little too enthusiastically for her liking. He extended his hand once again, more of an offering this time. Peni clasped his hand, pulling herself up.

She followed close behind, keeping her head low. She peeked over her shoulder, checking her surroundings. Peter was out of sight. Peni sighed in relief.

“Y-you’re a little close.” Rumble stuttered. Peni blinked in surprise. She didn’t realize how close she was. She was so close that she could feel the heat radiating off his body.

Peni mumbled an apology, taking a few steps back. She rubbed her goosebump-ridden arms. This coco better be good.

---

Sugarcube Corner looked gorgeous. The air smelled like freshly baked goods, making her stomach growl.

“It’s pretty.” Peni complimented. Rumble beamed.

“Thanks! I helped decorate.” He boasted, closing his umbrella. “I’m actually a chef here.”

Peni raised her eyebrows. She had to admit he had done an amazing job. It was like she had stepped into a winter wonderland.

“There you are, Rumble!” A blue-skinned lady greeted from behind the counter.

“Sorry, I’m late, Mrs. Cake. I was giving her a hand.” Rumble explained, tilting his head towards Peni.

Mrs. Cake eyed Peni, a smile creeping on her face.

“A girl? Is she your girlfriend?” Mrs. Cake asked, gleefully clapping. Rumble’s cheeks turned red, and Peni kept her head low. Girlfriend?! She barely knew the guy! Peni softly huffed. She found it rude that she would assume something like that.

No, it’s not like that! It’s…” Rumble trailed off, glancing at Peni. She averted her gaze, pretending she wasn’t paying attention. He walked over to Mrs. Cake, gesturing for her to come closer. “I found her alone in an alley.” He whispered.

However, he didn’t whisper it quietly enough. Peni wished she didn’t hear him; she hated being pitied.

Mrs. Cake brought her hand up to her mouth, stifling a gasp. She eyed Peni once again as if she was noticing her all-too-short clothing.

She walked over to Peni, gently guiding her to a seat.

“Sit down, dearie.” She instructed. “How about the special of the day? It’ll be my treat.” Mrs. Cake offered. Peni shook her head.

“No thanks, just a hot chocolate.” She said. Mrs. Cake nodded her head, swiftly walking away.

Peni sighed, leaning into her hand. She gazed out the window, her mind wandering. The snow fell lovingly as if it were dancing. The snow was much more amazing when she wasn’t standing in it.
“Here you go!” Rumble declared cheerfully, snapping Peni from her thoughts. She looked down, seeing a mug of hot cocoa sitting on the table.

“Thanks.” She mumbled, picking the cup up. It felt warm against her hands like she had stuck them straight in the dryer.

Peni took a sip of the coco. Her breath hitched. This tasted amazing! Peni felt her worries melt away. It tasted like she was eating a thousand sweets at once. She closed her eyes, humming wistfully.

To her dismay, the mug was quickly taken from her hands. Peni’s eyes snapped open, and she let out an involuntary whimper. She glared at Rumble, pursing her lips. He tipped over the cup, showing that it was long empty.

“The cup is empty. You’ve been sipping on nothing for a few minutes.” He chuckled. Peni’s face heated up. Had she enjoyed the hot chocolate that much?

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get you another cup.” Rumble reassured. Peni opened her mouth to respond, but her growling stomach cut her off. There was no doubt in her mind that Rumble had heard that. Her blush grew larger.

“Have you changed your mind about the special? It’ll still be on the house.” Rumble reminded, a teasing smile creeping on his face.

“Mhm,” Peni responded with a bashful nod. Rumble smiled, turning on his heels. He walked through the cafe, carefully swerving through the tables.

“Excuse me.” Peter Parker called out. Rumble turned around, facing the customer. He held a newspaper over his face, avoiding Rumble’s gaze. He pointed to Peni.

“What’s that girl having?

Comments

[EageRuler]

Interesting premise

[MLPLvrXD]

Potential!

[technofan]

ok now im hooked