When Gwen finally opened her eyes, the room was dark. She looked at the clock on her wall—it was eight o'clock in the evening. She had been asleep for nearly twelve hours.
Feeling fully rested and full of energy, Gwen sat up and gave a long, comfortable stretch.
Crack!
Boom!
The sound was like a small explosion. Gwen's slender fist had accidentally smashed right through her solid wood nightstand. The wood splintered into pieces, and the test papers she had stored inside flew into the air like white feathers.
Gwen stared at her hand. It wasn't even scratched. She wondered if she was still dreaming. Since when was she strong enough to shatter furniture?
What Gwen didn't realize was that at this exact moment, New York City had just gained its newest superhero: Spider-Gwen.
Panicked and confused, Gwen scrambled to get out of bed. But her legs had so much power that she didn't just step off—she launched herself. Her body shot toward the ceiling like a rocket, completely ignoring gravity.
Thinking she was about to crash, she threw her hands up. To her shock, her palms stuck firmly to the ceiling. She found herself hanging upside down, looking at her room from above.
"Oh my God! I'm definitely dreaming!" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Gwen! I think you need to calm down," a familiar voice called out from the window. "But don't move too fast, or you might fall!"
Gwen turned her head as far as she could. Peter Parker was sitting on her windowsill, looking at her with a calm but concerned expression.
After Peter had brought her home, he hadn't just left. He had climbed up the side of the house to her third-story window to wait for her to wake up. He knew that when her powers arrived, she would be scared and dangerous to herself.
"Peter... you're here! I'm so scared!"
Seeing a friendly face made Gwen's defenses crumble. Tears welled up in her eyes. Without thinking, she lunged toward him. Because of her new strength, she detached from the ceiling and flew toward Peter like an arrow.
"Wait—Gwen, no!" Peter shouted.
They were on the third floor. If her momentum pushed him out the window, they would both fall to the pavement. In a split second, Peter reached out and grabbed her hand, slamming it against the metal windowsill.
Crack!
Gwen's sticky palms gripped the aluminum frame so hard that the metal twisted and deformed under her fingers. The force of her jump stopped instantly, saving them both from falling out.
They were now inches apart. Peter could feel Gwen's warm breath on his skin. Her soft, blonde hair brushed against his forehead, and a sweet, clean scent filled his nose.
Even in this crazy situation, Peter couldn't help but think: She smells really good. Is that her shampoo?
For a few seconds, time seemed to stand still. Then, Gwen realized how close they were. She let out a small shriek and jumped backward, landing in the middle of her room. This time, she hit the far wall so hard she almost punched a hole through the drywall.
"Gwen! Deep breaths! Calm down!" Peter said, holding his hands up.
Gwen bit her lip and stuck her tongue out in embarrassment. She was so strong now that every move she made felt like she was swinging a sledgehammer. She began to move very, very slowly, trying not to break anything else.
Just then, a heavy knock sounded on her bedroom door.
"Gwen? Are you awake? What was that loud noise?"
It was her father, George Stacy. As the Police Director, he was always on high alert for suspicious sounds.
"I-it's nothing, Dad!" Gwen yelled back, her heart racing. "I just woke up and was... doing some exercises to wake myself up!"
"Oh, okay," George replied through the door. "By the way, I heard Peter brought you home today. You should make him breakfast and bring it over tomorrow as a thank-you."
Gwen looked at Peter, who was currently hiding by the window.
"Peter is a good kid," her father continued. "He's always looking out for you. You should cherish a friend like him!"
Hearing her father praise the "good kid" who was currently sneaking into her room made Gwen's face turn bright red. She wanted to disappear into the floor.
"I know, Dad! I'll do it!"
Once they heard her father's footsteps fade away, Peter let out a long sigh of relief. If the Police Director had found out about Gwen's powers, her life as a superhero would have ended before it even started.
Gwen looked at Peter, her eyes wide and pleading. She knew something was very wrong—or very right—with her. In this world, Peter was the only person she felt she could trust.
"Peter... what happened to me? Why am I like this?" Her voice broke with a small sob.
Peter cleared his throat and stood up straight. It was time to stop being the "good kid" and start being a mentor. He was ready to give the future Spider-Gwen her first lesson.