"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The scream Gwen had desperately tried to suppress finally burst out.
Adam raised his hands, a smug grin stretching across his face. "Whoa, whoa, lady. Relax! I know I'm handsome, but… there's no need to scream."
Her expression twisted into a mix of disbelief and distaste.
Cringey.
*How could anyone be this shameless?*
"You… remember me?" she snapped, irritation coloring her voice.
Adam blinked, looking mildly confused. "Huh? Weren't you the spider lady? Or ghost? Spider ghost, maybe?"
The urge to scream again clawed at Gwen, her hands balled into fists. "It's not Spider Ghost! It's Ghost Spider!"
Adam's brow furrowed, and his smirk only grew. "Sure, sure, 'Ghost Spider'—as if that doesn't sound like a Halloween knock-off, (Big D randy sounds soo much better to me). Plus, why would you pick such a obvious name? Spider ghost, ghost spider, it's obvious what your powers are." He chuckled, shaking his head. " you surely are a genius, truly."
Her disbelief grew stronger, frustration simmering under the surface. "It's called branding, okay? And I'll have you know that—wait!" She caught herself, her voice snapping back to business. "What's going on here, anyway? Are you… getting mugged?"
Adam rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, I guess you could call it that."
One of the goons cleared his throat, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Uh, he started it! He started calling us names, said our mothers were—"
Adam interrupted the side character with a huge shout,
"Me?! You were the ones saying I'd sold everything I own just to buy this car!"
"You probably did dumbass, LOOK at your clothes, You couldn't even buy a set of shoes."
Gwen groaned. "Enough! Middle school insults? Seriously? Just go home, both of you."
"Middle school?" Adam looked genuinely offended. "Which grade are you in then, you grandma!"
She felt a vein throbbing in her forehead. "Go home " she shouted at the two men, who muttered curses under their breath but reluctantly retreated.
"And you," she said, rounding on Adam. "You go back to wherever you came from!"
He folded his arms, a look of mock sorrow crossing his face. "Can't do that. If I go home, I might actually get eaten alive."
She raised an eyebrow. "Eaten alive?"
A haunted look flickered in Adam's eyes, one that was almost… genuine. "Yeah. He-no, She… She's relentless, you know? No mercy, no chill."
"So you're just going to sleep… here?" Her eyes flicked disdainfully to the car, which, despite her skepticism, gleamed like it had just rolled out of a showroom. "In your fancy car?"
His eyes softened, his hand drifting over the hood. "This… this isn't just any car, alright? She's one in a million...billion.." His face was practically glowing with pride. "This baby's the AM-RB 001. Only a handful of people in the world have this car." He lowered his head and kissed the hood of the car. "It's... it's a masterpiece. I mean, every single contour, every inch of carbon fiber—each piece is sculpted to perfection, like she was born out of some higher purpose. Look at this body; it's all muscle and poetry, like it's alive and waiting to spring to life beneath me."
He traced the aerodynamic lines, his gaze smoldering with pure infatuation. "And this cockpit? Minimal, just pure, sleek beauty without a single ounce of excess. It's built for one thing and one thing only—speed." He laughed softly, shaking his head, half in disbelief. "She's no machine she's a goddamn goddess wrapped in carbon fiber and power. I mean, a 6.5-liter V12? Do you know how rare that is? How raw? It's like she's designed to make the impossible happen."
Adam took a breath, savoring the moment, his face softening. "Only a handful of her exist in the entire world, and here she is, ready for me. It's like fate brought us together."
Gwen rolled her eyes. Was this guy seriously in love with his car? "Did you actually sell everything to buy it?"
Adam stiffened, looking vaguely shifty. "Look, let's say… I have my ways, okay?"
An eyebrow shot up her forehead. "Huh? what do you mean?"
He raised his arms and made a zero. "Well if you'd believe me I got her for free."
WHAT?
This fancy ass car?
Gwen just blinked at him, one eyebrow raised. "...Right. And you just… found it?"
"Found her?" He looked scandalized. "No, no—well, actually, yeah, kinda… But it's, uh, a long story, really. Look, I couldn't steal a car this precious! That'd be sacrilegious. This car deserves reverence, not... theft!" He gestured to the vehicle as though it were a deity. "I couldn't just take it—she chose me. Can't you see it? It's like we're bound by destiny!"
Gwen looked from him to the car, arms crossed. "You're saying a multi-million-dollar car just 'appeared' in your life. Like magic?"
"Okay, I get it. You're skeptical. But come on—look at her. She's like a work of art! A masterpiece! This isn't the kind of car you see parked just anywhere." He took a step back to admire it, shaking his head in awe. "I mean, look at her stance, her lines, the pure aggression in the shape! Can you honestly picture someone like me—uh, a guy without two nickels to rub together—actually stealing her without some sort of, I don't know, miracle?"
She crossed her arms, eyebrows raised. "Actually… yeah, you're really not making a great case for yourself."
"Wait—no, that's not what I meant! I'm just saying… I respect her, okay?" He looked at the car, then back at her, realizing he probably sounded a little too… intense. "...I wouldn't hurt a car like this by stealing her. That'd be like kidnapping a national treasure." He looked back at her with a serious expression. "You can't just… take what's meant to be admired."
"That… doesn't sound any better," she replied, crossing her arms.
"NO WAIT, I swear, I actually have this system like abili-"
Gwen raised her arms in a fighting stance,
"Save it. The cops can listen to your ways, thief."
Gwen jumped up charging a downward strike.But her spider-sense blared, and she dodged as Adam's hand pointed where she'd just been . A jagged line sliced through the pavement, barely missing her leg.
Her eyes widened. "You're a mutant?" she demanded, her voice rising in alarm. "And a dangerous one at that!"
He shrugged, giving her a grin that was equal parts cocky and dismissive. "Maybe..., Plus, do not try that again. You might damage her, Spider Ghost."
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" She shot a web at him, wrapping it around his torso before sticking him to the wall with another layer of webs. "With power like that, you shouldn't be walking around freely!"
"Why?" Adam's voice was quieter, almost playful. "Because I'm dangerous? aren't you a mutant too?"
Gwen's lips curled. "No, because you're reckless, arrogant, and clearly don't know how to use your powers responsibly. If someone touched your car, you'd probably—"
"Touch her?" His face fell, looking like she'd just insulted his firstborn. "There's a code, alright? No one touches my baby." His eyes narrowed as he scanned her mask. "But then again, I bet you wouldn't understand, *Gwen*."
Her heart skipped a beat. "How… how do you know my name?!"
Adam's grin turned devilish. "I know a lot of things, Gwen Stacy." He dragged out each syllable, clearly enjoying the effect. "Blonde, seventeen years old, loves long swings in the rain. ESU? you must be smart."
Her breathing quickened. "Who—who are you?!"
"Me?" His voice was maddeningly casual. "Just a guy who knows a little too much. And, oh, by the way, you might wanna talk to your barber. That cut is dirty. Did you and the barber have a fight?"
She recoiled, every nerve buzzing with shock and indignation. Before she could demand more answers, A loud voice called out. "Who's out there?"
Her father's voice!
Adam's smirk widened. "Guess that's your cue to disappear, huh? You should go. Wouldn't want dear old Dad getting suspicious."
Gwen clenched her fists, glaring at him. "You better stay exactly where you are tomorrow or Ill-Ill kill you."
"Sure, sure, Spider Ghost." He waggled his fingers in a mock wave as she leapt away, suppressing the urge to punch him.
---
**Adam's POV**
The second she left, I doubled over, laughing so hard I could hardly breathe. She had been too easy. Her reactions, her expressions—everything about her screamed "rookie." I'd had fun, that was for sure.
With the help of Chatgpt getting information was too easy.
"WHO—what in the world happened to you?"
I turned to see her dad, the cop, gaping at me, torn clothes and one shoe still missing, trapped in webs. Putting on my best innocent face, I sniffled, clasping my hands. "Officer, please help… I was attacked by a villain."