When Gwen looked at him with those bright, expectant eyes, Ryuuto coughed into his fist like a doctor trying to sound professional.
"Well, two options. First—radiation therapy. But since there's no precedent, it could trigger more mutations instead of fixing anything. Second—accept what's happening and learn to master it."
Gwen's face twisted. "Neither of those sound good. I don't want to turn into a spider!"
Ryuuto raised a brow. "Who said you'd become a spider?"
"You did!" she snapped. "You literally said I might have six legs!"
Ryuuto smirked. "That was a joke, Gwen. Relax. Based on what I've seen, your DNA won't go full arachnid. You'll probably just get climbing ability and silk generation. Don't worry, not from your mouth. Most likely from your wrists. Imagine—wrapping webs around a moving motorcycle to stop it dead. That kind of control."
Gwen blinked. "...That actually sounds kind of cool."
"So long as you don't grow extra limbs, you're fine with that?"
"Definitely."
Ryuuto grinned. Attagirl. Acceptance level: 100%.
She looked down at her palms and then at the wall. Curiosity burned brighter than fear. Tentatively, she pressed her hands to the wall—and they stuck. She flexed her legs and found herself clinging like it was nothing.
Excitement bubbled up. With a laugh, she began climbing higher, body moving instinctively.
Within seconds, she was upside down, hanging from the ceiling like a chandelier. Her skirt swayed dangerously as she tried not to move too much. Ryuuto glanced up—then quickly looked away, face twitching with restraint.
Gwen, lost in the thrill of it, didn't even notice.
"I can't get loose!" she gasped, panic finally setting in. "Ryuuto, what do I do?!"
He chuckled lightly. "You could before, right?"
"Yeah—but now it's like my hands won't let go!"
Ryuuto crossed his arms. "You're scared."
"What?"
"Your ability's instinctively protecting you," he explained. "It thinks if it releases now, you'll fall and die. Fear tightens the control. So the more you panic, the stronger the grip. Breathe. Convince yourself that letting go won't hurt."
Gwen swallowed hard. "Easier said than done."
"Then start with this—trust yourself. You're only a meter off the ground. If you can't do this, what'll you do when you're climbing skyscrapers someday?"
"...Alright."
She took a deep breath, eyes closing. One second. Two. Five minutes later, her hands finally released. She landed smoothly, steady as a cat.
Gwen stared at her palms, then laughed softly. "That's… amazing."
"Every Mutant feels that awe the first time," Ryuuto said quietly. "When their power awakens, they realize they've stepped past the limits of ordinary people. The world fears what it doesn't understand—but that doesn't make you a monster."
"Still… Mutants have hurt a lot of people," she murmured.
"You don't know the whole truth," Ryuuto replied. "There was a telepath manipulating them. The riots weren't their will. That psychic's dead now, which is why things are finally quiet."
Gwen's eyes widened. "Seriously? That was never on the news."
"Of course not. Classified S.H.I.E.L.D. intel," Ryuuto said with a faint smirk. "I just wanted you to know the real story."
"Then… shouldn't the truth be made public? Maybe then people wouldn't hate Mutants so much."
He shrugged. "Wouldn't matter. Humans fear power. Even if you free the innocent now, someone else will cage them again later." Then, changing the subject, he asked, "So, wanna keep practicing here or take it outdoors?"
"The latter!"
Ryuuto grinned as she brightened. Figures. She's already addicted to the rush.
They left Gwen's house and found an unfinished high-rise nearby, perfect for practice. Gwen climbed the concrete walls again and again, refining her control while Ryuuto watched below, ready to use his Light and Heavy Rock Technique if she slipped.
Meanwhile, across the city—inside Professor Connors' lab.
He stared at the vial of green serum trembling in his grip. The formula was supposed to restore his missing arm, using lizard DNA to trigger regeneration. But Ryuuto's earlier warning echoed in his mind: "Be careful what you merge with."
What if the serum didn't just grow a new arm… but changed him completely?
After a long silence, Connors clenched his jaw. "Science demands risk."
He injected the syringe into his leg.
The moment the fluid entered his bloodstream, his eyes widened—something deep inside began to stir.
...
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