Chapter 17 : Morning in New York - Mind on Gwen, Eyes on the Mission
I sank into my chair, staring at the scattered notes and half-formed ideas littering my desk. The more I tried to piece together a plan of action, the more tangled everything became. Conquest, powers, Gwen, Oscorp, the looming Spider event… it was a web of possibilities, each thread leading somewhere different.
My mind was buzzing, calculating, anticipating. Strategies upon strategies raced through my thoughts, potential outcomes spinning in endless loops. I knew I needed a plan — a structured approach to navigate this world, protect the people I cared about, and make sense of the chaos.
And yet… the day had caught up with me. Mentally drained, every thought felt heavier, slower, as if the very act of thinking was taking energy I no longer had to spare. My eyes stung, my shoulders ached from tension I hadn't noticed building.
I leaned back, letting out a long, slow exhale. "Not tonight," I muttered to myself. "Tomorrow… tomorrow I'll figure it out."
With that, I stood, shut down the lights, and let the quiet of my room wrap around me. Sleep wasn't just rest — it was a reset, a chance to face the next day with sharper focus and clearer eyes. And right now, that was exactly what I needed.
A few moments before - New York, Queens – Gwen's POV
The day felt like a blur as I finally collapsed onto my bed in the quiet of my apartment. High schoolers at Oscorp, gawking at labs they barely understood, their questions nonstop. It was exhausting, but strangely satisfying — showing them a world they didn't normally see, even if just for a few hours.
And yet, a nagging worry tugged at the back of my mind. Wendy had mentioned Alex fainted this morning. He'd probably just overworked himself, but still… I hoped he was really okay.
My phone buzzed on the nightstand. A message from Alex.
Alex: Hey, Wen told me her class dropped by Oscorp today. How'd it go?
Must've been weird corralling a bunch of high schoolers through a lab full of hazardous materials.
I smiled faintly, typing quickly.
Gwen: Oh yeah, that. It was kind of chaotic, honestly — a bunch of teenagers gawking at tech they didn't understand. 😅
Still, not too bad. Just your usual day at Oscorp.
I hesitated for a second, glancing at my wrist where a tiny red mark had started to sting. A spider bite. Weird, sharp, but I didn't think it was anything serious.
Alex: Glad it went okay. Just… be careful around Connors, alright? The guy's brilliant, but sometimes brilliance crosses the line into crazy.
Gwen: Haha, I know. He's intense, but he means well.
Don't worry, I can handle him.
I typed the last reply with a shrug, ignoring the small sting on my wrist. Nothing to worry about — definitely nothing to tell Alex.
And yet, somewhere in the back of my mind, a faint, unexplainable awareness lingered. Something had changed today. Something invisible that I didn't fully understand.
My thoughts lingered on him, though. Always worrying, always attentive. It was hard not to smile.
New York, Queens – Alex's POV
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, and for the first time in hours, my mind felt clear. After a full night of sleep, the fog of yesterday's exhaustion had lifted. Stretching, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, letting my thoughts settle before getting ready for ESU.
Breakfast was a quiet, familiar ritual. Mom was bustling about in the kitchen, humming softly, while Wendy fussed with her backpack, checking to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. I chatted with them, casual conversation about classes, plans for the day, even teasing Wendy a bit about her fashion choices. Normalcy, at least on the surface.
Once on the road to campus, my mind drifted toward more pressing matters. The system's abilities, the templates, and how I was going to navigate this world.
First, Leech. Maintaining the power seemed effortless, even while sleeping. That was a small but significant discovery — it meant I could leave it active without constantly focusing, a constant safety net of nullification… at least in theory.
Second, my newfound computer skills. The system had given me everything I needed to excel academically. Degrees, employment — all achievable if I chose that path. That meant I could skip certain classes or bend schedules without real consequences, giving me flexibility to pursue other priorities.
Third, the limitations of my abilities. Leech's field was undeniably powerful, but it offered no real protection. It didn't shield me from physical danger, didn't prevent an ambush, didn't stop a punch or a fall. Useful, yes. Necessary, yes. But not invincible.
I ran through possible ways to improve my personal protection — simple measures I could implement with what I already had. Routes to avoid, distractions to use, environments to manipulate. Anything to keep myself safe while waiting for the system to finally explain how to earn Conquest Points. Each thought was a small step, a preparation, until the Gacha gave me a clearer path.
The day was young, and the city stirred to life around me. Every choice, every adjustment, every careful decision was another brick in the foundation of a life I was learning to navigate — one ability, one subtle tweak, one calculated step at a time.
New York, Manhattan, ESU – Alex's POV
I stepped onto the bustling campus of ESU, the morning sun reflecting off the glass and steel of the university buildings. Students hurried along the pathways, backpacks slung over shoulders, voices blending into a hum of normal college life.
As I rounded the corner near the student center, I saw the Mary Janes — Mary Jane Watson, tall and confident with her striking red hair and playful smile; Betty Brant, petite and sharp-eyed, always observing everything; Liz Allan, curvy and effortlessly stylish, radiating a laid-back charm; and Cindy Moon, energetic and lively, her dark hair bouncing as she laughed. They were gathered together, laughing and chatting. I approached, hoping to catch Gwen.
"Alex!" Mary Jane called, waving me over. They were all smiles, but there was a hint of concern.
"Gwen isn't coming today," Liz said, frowning slightly. "She's not feeling well, said she needed to rest."
I nodded, forcing a casual expression, though a flicker of worry passed through me. "Ah, alright. Hope she's okay."
Mary Jane stepped a little closer, her smile playful. "Well, that means I get to have your attention today, doesn't it?" she teased, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "We could catch up… or maybe you'll tell me all about what's going on with Gwen?"
I stayed with the group, offering occasional nods and faint smiles, but my mind wasn't on their conversation. Every word, every laugh bounced off me without really registering. All I could think about was Gwen — her absence, the Oscorp visit, the spider… Had she been bitten? Could that be why she wasn't here?
Mary Jane continued, undeterred, her tone flirtatious and light, but I barely responded beyond polite murmurs. My attention was elsewhere, wrapped around the possibility that something serious might have already begun without anyone realizing it.
Even surrounded by friends and casual chatter, I felt a weight pressing at the back of my mind. Gwen. Oscorp. The bite. Everything else faded into background noise.
I shook my head, forcing my thoughts to step away from Gwen and the what-ifs I couldn't confirm. Obsessing over something I had no proof of wasn't going to help anyone — least of all me.
Pulling out my phone, I typed a quick message, keeping it casual but concerned:
Alex: Hey, Gwen. How are you feeling? Everything okay?
I hit send, watching the small notification bubble float up. Whatever her answer, I couldn't sit here spiraling. I needed to focus, at least for now, on the conversation in front of me.
Turning back to the Mary Janes, I tried to give them my full attention — or at least as much as I could manage. Mary Jane leaned a little closer than necessary, her elbow brushing mine, her teasing smirk and suggestive remarks aimed squarely at me. The others chimed in with their usual banter, but it was hard to focus on anything beyond Mary Jane's flirty prods. I nodded, smiled, and replied where I could, letting the friendly chaos and her persistent teasing anchor me in the moment — though part of me was painfully aware my mind kept wandering back to Gwen.
I tried to keep my focus on the Mary Janes, nodding, laughing at their jokes, and responding to Mary Jane's persistent teasing. She leaned a little closer, her smirk teasing, her elbow brushing mine more than casually, and I forced a polite smile, though my mind kept drifting elsewhere. Gwen. Oscorp. The Spider event. The what-ifs that I couldn't yet confirm.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, a small pulse of light drew my attention.
A notification. From the system.
I froze mid-laugh, my phone forgotten in my hand. The screen glowed with a message I hadn't seen before:
[New Quest Available]
Everything else faded — the chatter, the teasing, the campus life around me. The pulse of the notification felt almost alive, a jolt straight to my core.
The system had finally given me a direction. Finally.
And whatever this mission was, I knew… it wasn't going to be simple.
I swallowed, heart racing. This was the moment everything could change.