"Gwen, how could it be you?!"
George Stacy stood frozen, staring at Gwen in disbelief.
He couldn't believe the criminal he had been chasing for so long was his own daughter. The thought didn't even make sense to him.
"Why, Gwen?" he asked, his voice trembling.
Gwen met her father's shocked gaze with sad eyes, "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't have a choice."
Her words were heavy, and she struggled to find the right way to explain. "By wearing this mask, I have to hide my other life."
"That's not your life, Gwen. Your life should be about going to school, choosing a career you love, and living in peace. You shouldn't be out here in danger every day wearing a mask," George said, his tone pleading.
He couldn't fathom his daughter choosing this dangerous path. "One second in this life is more dangerous than your entire life without this mask!"
Gwen took a deep breath, holding back tears, but her voice remained steady. "Dad, I understand what you're saying, but it's not that simple."
"Why isn't it simple?!" George's anger surged as he looked at her.
Gwen slowly shook her head and spoke carefully, "You're a good police chief, Dad. Your badge and gun are there to keep the wrong people from taking them. If you don't carry them, someone else will. And this mask? It's my badge. If I don't wear it, if I don't fight for the people who need me, the bad guys will misuse it. That's why I have to do this."
She paused, glancing at her hands, which were still holding the mask. "I followed in Peter's footsteps. I became Spider-Woman for the same reason he did. There's too much to protect, too many lives to watch over. I can't take off this mask."
George's eyes were filled with sorrow as he spoke again. "The sad truth is, you want to be everyone's hero, but you won't be mine."
George put down his gun, his voice full of frustration. "You're walking a dangerous road, Gwen. You'll get hurt, you'll face death over and over."
"But it's the road I've chosen, Dad. And I'm not alone in this."
"I'll stop you, Gwen."
George's voice turned cold, his resolve hardening. He raised his gun again, pointing it directly at her.
"Stop me?" Gwen's voice was a mixture of confusion and anger. "Do you want to arrest me, Dad?"
She couldn't understand why her father, someone who loved her, would choose to arrest his own daughter.
"I'm still a police officer. I can't ignore the law just because you're my daughter."
He continued, his voice low but firm, "I'll never just watch this happen, Gwen. You need to stop."
Gwen shook her head, her face filled with frustration. "You're trying to destroy everything I stand for, everything I believe in."
"You taught me the rules, Dad. But now you've ruined them for me. I don't even know what's right anymore. All I know is, I can't let you stop me from doing what I believe in."
George's face twisted with pain, but he didn't lower the gun. Instead, he glared at her, his anger building.
"You can arrest me, but I stand by my choice," Gwen said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "If you think I'm wrong, then arrest me. I'll let you do it."
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The sound of approaching sirens filled the air, and the sound of helicopters overhead grew louder.
George's heart broke as he looked at his daughter standing before him, her arms outstretched in defiance. He didn't know if he could do it.
With a pained expression, he lowered the gun. Slowly, he turned away from her, his voice shaking as he spoke.
"Get out of here, Gwen."
She said nothing, only watching as he walked away from her. Her heart ached as she turned and put her mask back on. Without another word, she left, her footsteps echoing in the silence.
Meanwhile, Black Cat had been watching from a distance. She had wanted to offer comfort to Gwen, but seeing the confrontation between father and daughter, she felt like it was best to leave Gwen alone for a while to process everything.
Just as she was lost in her thoughts, her phone vibrated. It was Peter calling her.
"It seems like you've missed more than one show," Black Cat murmured to herself before picking up the phone.
Gwen swung through the city, feeling numb and lost. She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed to escape. The confrontation with her father had torn her apart, and the last look he gave her lingered in her mind.
She needed to run.
As the rain began to fall, she swung farther from the city, heading toward the outskirts. Eventually, Gwen stopped, finding herself on a deserted beach. The air smelled salty, and the waves crashed against the shore, soothing her restless mind just a little.
She stood there, looking at a tall lighthouse in the distance. The path leading to it was crooked and uneven, with a row of rickety fences and wild bushes on either side. The sea seemed to whisper in the distance as the seagulls cried overhead, and dark clouds loomed ominously above.
Gwen removed her mask and let out a heavy sigh. She needed a moment of peace, even if it was fleeting.
She walked barefoot along the beach, feeling the cool, damp sand beneath her feet. She couldn't help but feel lost, like she was walking toward something uncertain—maybe the lighthouse, or maybe just away from everything that hurt her.
The path to the lighthouse felt endless. Her thoughts were chaotic, swirling like a storm inside her mind. She wasn't sure anymore if she had chosen the right path. Was she really cut out to be a hero, or was she just a scared girl trying to run away from reality?
Her bare feet sank into the soft sand with every step, but the closer she got to the lighthouse, the further away she felt from herself.
Suddenly, in front of her, Peter appeared.
Gwen froze in shock, her breath catching in her throat. "Peter?!" she exclaimed, surprised to see him here.
Before she could stop herself, she ran towards him, throwing herself into his arms.
Peter, momentarily stunned, hugged her tightly, feeling the slight tremble in her body. He had heard from Black Cat about what had happened, about the fight between Gwen and her father.
"I messed up, Peter," Gwen whispered against his chest. "Maybe I'll never be able to fix things with my dad."
Peter said nothing at first, just holding her tightly, understanding the pain she was going through. He had seen the tension in her family, and he knew this would hurt.
Gwen pulled away slightly, looking up at him, her eyes full of vulnerability. "You'll take me in, right?"
Peter was caught off guard by her words. "Of course," he replied, brushing her hair out of her face. "If that's what you want."
The waves crashed in the background, and Gwen looked away for a moment, then turned back to Peter. "If you could, would you… would you run away with me? Let's elope. Just the two of us."
Peter smiled gently, understanding that this was Gwen's way of escaping the pain. "I'll be with you, no matter what," he said softly.
The rain started to fall harder as the two of them stood on the beach, the world around them fading away, leaving only the two of them.
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