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<span class="mu-b">“Are you Joyce?”</span> he asked, ignoring you in favor of his daughter’s clone.
She nodded.
George let out an incredulous laugh and ran a hand through his hair.
<span class="mu-b">“My god. You really do look alike. She’s got your eyes, Gwen. You could be twins.”</span> he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Joyce just stared back at him.
<span class="mu-g">“Yeah, that’s how clones work, dad.”</span> Gwen said, walking up to stand beside her dad.
<span class="mu-g">“Joy, this is my dad, George Stacy. I brought him here because…well, he’s sort of your dad too. You deserve a chance to get to know your dad, even if you don’t have any memories of him.”</span>
Joyce frowned at that.
<span class="mu-s">“I already have a dad.”</span> she murmured.
Now it was George’s turn to frown. Gwen gave him a warning look.
<span class="mu-b">“You mean that ‘Miles Warren’ fella? The guy who…’created’ you, right?”</span>
Joyce nodded.
<span class="mu-b">“That man may have created you, Joyce, but he is <span class="mu-i">not</span> your father. He created you without any memories, spliced your DNA with a damn spider. Who in their right mind would do that to their own daughter?”</span>
Her frown transformed into a full-on scowl. At this point, Iara, who had been hovering nearby in the background, was slowly and silently floating further and further away.
<span class="mu-s">“You don’t know what you’re talking about. He cares about me. He loves me.”</span>
<span class="mu-b">“Then where is he? Why isn’t he here while you’re living in a park without any shoes?”</span> George asked, gesturing at her bare feet.
You cleared your throat to attract George’s attention.
<span class="mu-r">“That’s more a choice than a necessity, actually. She doesn’t like shoes very much.”</span>
He opened his mouth to respond, but Joyce just about jumped down his throat before anyone could say anything else.
<span class="mu-s">“And where were <span class="mu-i">you</span>!? I don’t even know you!”</span>
George blinked in surprise, not expecting such a heated response from the woman.
<span class="mu-b">“I…I’m sorry, kid. If I’d known-”</span>
<span class="mu-s">“Warren and Abe taught me pretty much everything I know. And the Morlocks have been taking good care of me. I’ve been getting along just fine without you. I don’t need another dad.”</span>
George seemed to be at a loss for words, so Gwen stepped in this time.
<span class="mu-g">“Joy. Professor Warren may have fed you, clothed you and taught you, but he’s deprived you of literally every good memory we’ve ever had. You were born into this world with nothing, and you deserved so much more than Warren was capable of giving you.”</span>
Joyce’s expression softened a bit when she spoke to Gwen, but only a bit.
<span class="mu-s">“I don’t need anything else. I’m fine.”</span> she proclaimed.
<span class="mu-g">“You talk to spiders, Joyce!”</span> Gwen said in a hushed tone. <span class="mu-g">“You literally didn’t have a childhood, you don’t have any history, and you’re not even a year old yet.”</span>
Joyce averted her gaze, her fingers digging into her palms as she clenched her fists tightly.
<span class="mu-r">“Hey, ease up on her.”</span> you warned.
(Cont.)
