Professor Connors was surrounded by journalists and faculty, shaking hands, smiling that overly polite scientist smile.
"Are you close with Professor Connors?" Ryuuto asked, eyeing Gwen as she stood beside him.
"He's my mentor," she said proudly. "When I first started my gene project, I hit a wall. Professor Connors helped me break through it. He's… honestly a great guy."
Ryuuto smirked. "Sounds like a saint in a lab coat."
Gwen smiled back. "Kind of like you."
That one hit him off guard. Compliments weren't his natural habitat.
If only she knew who she was talking to.
The same "guy" who'd led a mutant strike team, spilled blood across half the world, and been called both savior and monster.
Would she still say that if she saw the real him—the Red Mirage behind the smile?
Before he could spiral further into that thought, Gwen called out again, her tone half-curious, half-excited.
"Ryuuto! Come check this out! Two-headed snake!"
He walked over and stared through the glass. Sure enough, a serpent coiled inside—two heads flickering in unison.
Professor Connors approached. "This is part of my latest research—inducing controlled genetic upgrades. This specimen was injected with a serum that encouraged cell duplication, leading to dual cranial development."
"So this serum can… regrow things?" Ryuuto asked, eyebrow raised. "Say someone loses a leg—could it grow back?"
Connors hesitated. "Not exactly. It's not regeneration. It's replication—copying what already exists."
Ryuuto nodded, then looked pointedly at Connors' missing right arm. "So… you're testing this for your own case?"
The professor gave a thin smile. "That's confidential."
Ryuuto crossed his arms. "Which means it's happening. Just remember, splicing animal genes into yourself might give you that arm back—but it could also overwrite your humanity. You'd grow more than a limb. You might grow instincts you can't control."
Connors' expression soured. "Thanks for the warning," he said curtly, before walking off.
Ryuuto exhaled. "He'll do it anyway. Classic 'scientist plays god' arc."
Gwen frowned. "He wouldn't."
"He will," Ryuuto said flatly. "The question isn't if—it's whether he'll stay human after."
They continued exploring the exhibition, admiring projects, swapping sarcastic remarks.
About thirty minutes later, Gwen handed Ryuuto her bag. "Hold this for a sec—I need to use the restroom."
He nodded, leaning against the wall as she disappeared down the hall.
Inside the restroom, Gwen locked the stall door. She was just reaching for tissue when a spider, glistening with faint green veins, descended from the ceiling.
It landed silently on her hand.
Bite.
She gasped, shaking her hand instinctively—the spider flew off, hit the wall, and slid into the drain. Two crimson pinpricks marked the back of her hand.
"Damn it…" she muttered, dabbing at the bite with a tissue before heading out.
When she found Ryuuto again, she told him about the spider.
"What kind of spider?" he asked.
"I—I don't know. It just dropped out of nowhere and bit me!"
Ryuuto froze for a second, eyes narrowing.
That didn't fit the script.
In the "original" timeline, the spider should've bitten Peter Parker.
But this wasn't that world anymore.
Here, fate had rerolled the dice.
In this universe… Gwen Stacy was the one bitten.
"So that's it," Ryuuto thought grimly. "No Spider-Man… only Spider-Woman."
He looked her in the eye. "Gwen, listen carefully. If anything weird happens—changes in your body, reflexes, strength—call me immediately. Don't tell your dad. Don't go to a hospital. Just me, got it?"
Gwen blinked. "If I'm poisoned, shouldn't I tell my dad and go to a doctor?"
"This isn't poison. It's… different. Trust me."
He handed her his phone number. She hesitated, then saved it.
They wandered the exhibition for a bit longer, but Gwen's hand itched like crazy. Eventually, they decided to leave.
On the way out, Gwen stopped at a drugstore. "I should grab some ointment—"
Ryuuto stopped her. "No need. Just go home. Rest."
Her brows furrowed, but she didn't argue. After all, he had saved her life once already.
They shared lunch at a nearby café before he offered to drive her home.
Halfway there, Gwen reached into her bag as her phone buzzed. She answered, hung up—and when she tried to put it away, the phone wouldn't detach from her palm.
"What the—?!" she yelped, shaking it hard. "It's stuck! Did I touch glue or something?!"
Ryuuto's face stayed calm, but his mind was already connecting the dots.
"The spider's gene is merging faster than expected," he thought.
Aloud, he said, "There's something you should know. I'm not just some student—I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative. I was sent to Oxford to monitor genetic modification cases. That spider wasn't normal. It was part of Professor Connors' experiment."
Gwen's eyes widened. "So… what does that mean for me?!"
"It means," Ryuuto said dryly, "you're not going to grow six legs—"
"Wait, what?!"
"Because spiders have eight."
She froze. And then—thud. Gwen fainted right in the passenger seat.
Ryuuto sighed, rubbing his temple. "And that's my cue. Welcome to the superhero business, Miss Stacy."