"Gwen, what do you think of that guy jumping around the city in tights?"
Calling her little secretary Gwen into her office, Artoria locked the door under her somewhat nervous gaze. As Artoria walked up to her, Gwen's heart was racing. Was her boss really 'like that'? Was this the legendary 'unspoken rule'? But why was there a tiny bit of anticipation in her heart? Looking at Artoria's face, a blush rose to Gwen's cheeks.
Artoria glanced at Gwen curiously. Was it hot in the room? But business came first. She had Saturday turn off the lights and then projected Spider-Man's character data in a 3D hologram before them.
"Miss Gwen? Miss Gwen?"
Not paying attention to Gwen, Artoria spoke while keeping her eyes on the projected data. However, receiving no response, Artoria looked at Gwen with a hint of displeasure. Seeing her with her eyes closed, was she afraid of the dark? After calling her twice, Gwen opened her eyes, her gaze carrying a hint of resentful confusion. This amused Artoria—I haven't even expressed my confusion, so what are you confused about?
"I have no interest in guys who wander around the streets wearing tights."
When Artoria repeated her question, Gwen spoke without mercy. If the Little Spider knew, he would probably be heartbroken to find out that's how his goddess viewed him.
"Sorry, I might have phrased that poorly. I meant, are you interested in having that kind of power?"
Pondering her words carefully, Artoria realized there was an issue with how she'd spoken, which had misled the other girl. A question like that sounded like something from a blind date; anyone would likely give a blunt answer.
"This..."
These words truly reached Gwen's heart. Thinking of her injured old father, Gwen hesitated. She looked at the Spider-Man data in the projection—that arm strength of several tons was practically like a little Superman. This caused Gwen, who desired strength, to waver, and she wavered quite strongly.
"We are planning to implement a project to turn an ordinary person into a superhuman like Spider-Man. We are currently preparing experimental subjects, so there's no rush. You can take your time to consider it, Miss Gwen."
Seeing that Gwen was somewhat tempted, Artoria didn't rush to keep selling the idea. Everyone has the right to choose, but she believed this girl had a heart that refused to be ordinary; otherwise, Spider-Woman wouldn't have appeared in parallel Universes.
"I will consider it. Please give me a few days off, Miss Artoria. I want some peace and quiet."
Although she was very tempted, she still maintained her rationality. Artoria nodded in satisfaction at this. If Gwen had been extremely eager without any hesitation, then Artoria would have hesitated or even refused outright, fearing that Gwen might turn into a major villain. Now, Artoria was completely at ease. After watching Gwen leave, Artoria arranged for Maya to immediately begin preparations for the experiment. She believed Gwen would return in a few days.
"Should I agree or not?"
Back at school, Gwen kept repeating those words in her mind. She didn't even listen carefully in class, a situation that never happened to the usually top student Gwen. But now, she had no heart for studying. Her distracted state made many people think she was in love, like a lovesick young girl. Many classmates offered kind smiles, wondering which lucky guy had gained the favor of the School Beauty. Little Spider Peter, however, felt very dejected.
Looking at the object of his crush, he felt a sense of secret sorrow, but soon his brain sent him a warning: something dangerous was nearby, and the hostility was quite powerful.
"Little Bug, I could smell your stench from far away."
This time, The Lizard Doctor came for revenge. After escaping and recuperating for a while, his brain went back online. He skillfully utilized his abilities, using his enhanced sense of smell to track the little bug that had been obstructing him that night through the sewers. As for the punch that had fallen from the sky and nearly killed him, it was a psychological shadow he didn't dare mention. However, once he killed this little bug, he would turn everyone into his current form. He wanted to become the Lizard King, prepare more soldiers, and tear apart that Norman Osborn, whom he utterly loathed.
"Oh no! Teacher, I need to go to the bathroom."
The alarms in his brain were getting closer and closer, so Peter had to resort to the 'urine escape' tactic. He quickly ran to a deserted corner to change into his spandex suit. He had to be fast; he couldn't let anyone discover his identity. Uncle Ben had just been discharged from the hospital, and Peter couldn't let him worry anymore.
"Peter, so you're the one in the spandex suit."
In his panic, Peter didn't realize that Gwen, seeing his unusual behavior, had also run out of the classroom and followed him. Watching the red and blue spandex-clad figure appear within the school, Gwen confirmed Spider-Man's identity. But soon, a monster's roar interrupted her thoughts as a giant green creature appeared.
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