"Criminals, that's what they call him."
Gwen fumed, "Aren't those strange birds and robots the real villains? Yet they barely get a mention."
"Yeah," Peter replied nonchalantly.
He didn't seem affected by the negative comments about Spider-Man.
"You can't control what people say, Gwen, and you can't change their opinions. So why get angry over it?" he said. He thought to himself that once Gwen took on the role of Spider-Man, she would face much harsher criticism and accusations, so he felt a moment of sympathy for her.
Gwen was upset at the unfairness toward Spider-Man. "It's not right. They're just being biased."
"Do you have a high opinion of Spider-Man?" Peter asked curiously.
"He's the kind of person I want to be," Gwen admitted, putting the newspaper into her locker. "But it won't be easy."
Just as she finished speaking, a voice came from behind them.
"Hey, good morning, Gwen, Peter."
They turned around to see Harry.
"Good morning, Harry. I thought you'd be taking a few days off after that strange bird tried to kidnap you," Gwen greeted him.
She had found out the previous night that Harry was safe.
"It was just some minor injuries; I didn't need to stay home to recover," Harry said with a shrug, trying to appear casual.
But Gwen noticed something unusual: there was a visible red mark on Harry's face.
"Harry, are you okay?" she asked with concern.
"Why do you ask?"
"Your face," Gwen pointed out, gesturing to the mark.
"I accidentally bumped into something," Harry replied, touching the sore spot on his face and pretending it was nothing. The truth was, Norman Osborn had slapped him. Although he was furious at first, he had since cooled down. Despite his frustration, he tried to hide it from his friends.
"Alright, but if you're feeling unwell, you should visit the nurse," Gwen suggested, not wanting to pry further.
Peter, who had noticed the mark too, recognized it for what it was but remained silent. He placed his bag in the locker and joined Gwen and Harry as they headed toward the classroom.
As they entered, they heard a loud voice discussing the previous night's events.
It was "King Kong," enthusiastically recounting the news with his friends.
"Spider-Man pulling a helicopter last night was amazing! My friend was on that subway," he exclaimed. Despite his tall and imposing appearance, he was fascinated by superheroes and action stories.
"He managed to keep the helicopter from crashing, and he kicked that strange bird down. The guy's incredibly strong."
Even as the class bell rang, "King Kong" continued talking.
"Hey, Kong, can you quiet down for a minute?" Gwen interjected. "It's time for class."
"King Kong" turned towards her. "What's your problem?"
"I'm saying you should tone it down. You've been going on about Spider-Man all morning. Maybe you need a break."
Gwen had a headache. Was there anyone more obsessed with Spider-Man than she was?
"Not everyone wants to hear about it," she added. "So, can you sit down and be quiet?"
"King Kong" shrugged and replied, "Spider-Man saved that whole train. Why can't I talk about it?"
Gwen sighed, "Maybe you could discuss it outside instead of during class."
"And what if I don't want to?" he challenged, taking a step towards her aggressively.
Although Gwen had a reputation as a top student, "King Kong," who considered himself the school's muscle, didn't feel the need to listen to her.
Gwen shot Peter a look that said, *I can handle this*, and then turned her attention back to "King Kong" as he approached.
But just as "King Kong" reached Peter, he suddenly stumbled, as if tripping over something invisible. He lost his balance and fell forward, flailing as he tried to grab onto anything to steady himself.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down for Gwen. Her senses sharpened, her breathing deepened, and she could perceive the world around her in vivid detail. Even "King Kong's" terrified expression moved in slow motion before her.
Instinctively, she reached out with her left hand and caught him mid-fall.
With a solid *thud*, she held up "King Kong's" large frame with just one hand, his chest pressed firmly against her palm.
The entire classroom went silent. Everyone stared in disbelief.
Gwen Stacey... how strong is she?
Realizing her mistake, Gwen quickly withdrew her hand, causing "King Kong" to lose his support and crash to the floor with a resounding *thud*.
Clutching his chest, "King Kong" lay on the ground groaning in pain. The entire class was stunned, staring at Gwen with wide eyes.
Gwen, feeling overwhelmed, glanced at Peter, who was watching her with a concerned look.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." she stammered, unsure if she was apologizing to Peter or to the fallen "King Kong."
Without another word, she ran out of the classroom.
Peter watched her go but didn't follow. Instead, he frowned slightly, thinking, *Is this the confusion that comes with becoming a superhero? Even someone like Gwen struggles with it?*
Rubbing his chin, he fell into deep thought.
Later that afternoon, Peter left school and headed to the hospital. The alien embryo in his body had absorbed Frank's genes the previous night, causing mutations and evolution, and he needed to monitor the changes. Even with its evolution, there was no guarantee that the embryo wouldn't burst out of his body at any moment.
The embryo inside him had become something far different from the alien egg he had known. He could no longer rely on past experience to understand or predict its behavior.
As he boarded the subway to New York Presbyterian Hospital, he received a text from Gwen. She hadn't returned to the classroom after leaving that morning, and it seemed she had taken the rest of the day off.
The text contained a simple, yet haunting message: *"Peter, if I become a monster, would you still consider me a friend?"*
------------------------------------------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Samurai492
Extra Content Already Available