["What about you? Why are you here?" Gwen asked, her eyes narrowing with curiosity as she glanced at Peter. His sudden appearance at Oscorp Industries wasn't just a coincidence.]
["Harry... he's dying," Peter admitted quietly, his lips pressing into a thin line.]
["Osborn? What do you mean he's dying?" Gwen's eyes widened in shock. Harry was only twenty—how could this be possible?]
["He thinks the only thing that can save his life is my blood… Spider-Man's blood." Peter's voice was laced with worry. "But from everything I know, if I give him my blood, it might kill him."]
["Maybe it could even make things worse!" Gwen agreed, her mind flashing back to Dr. Connors' horrifying transformation into the Lizard. The memory was still fresh.]
["I know..." Peter nodded solemnly. That's exactly why he was hesitating.]
[He glanced around their cramped hiding spot and couldn't help but chuckle. "Gwen, this is the janitor's closet. It's the most cliché hiding place ever. We're smarter than this."]
["I'm sorry! I didn't exactly have time to scout out a better spot," Gwen whispered back with a soft smile.]
[Peter's expression turned serious again. "I need to talk to you about England. I think, because I don't—" Before he could finish, Gwen leaned in and kissed him.]
["You just kissed me!" Peter whispered, his eyes wide with surprise. "I thought we agreed to be friends!"]
["I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself," Gwen teased, her eyes sparkling. "How did it feel?"]
["A bit sudden!" Peter grinned.]
["I know, I know!" Peter laughed nervously. "So, here's the plan—you take the elevator, and I'll distract the guards. Sound good?"]
[Gwen nodded without hesitation. She trusted Peter to pull it off. The two of them quietly exited the closet. Gwen sprinted towards the elevator, while Peter prepared for his diversion.]
[As Gwen pressed the elevator button, Peter spotted a security guard approaching. He ducked around the corner and noticed a food cart being pushed by a distracted waitress who was reading a book. Peter shot a quick web, snagging a cup of coffee from the cart without her noticing.]
[Waiting patiently at the corner with the cup in hand, Peter timed it perfectly. Just as Security Guard A rounded the corner, Peter "accidentally" bumped into him, spilling the hot coffee all over the guard's uniform.]
["Oh my God!" the guard yelped, flinching from the heat.]
["I'm so sorry!" Peter crouched down, pretending to help. "I didn't mean to—I just—"]
[Before he could finish, Peter subtly stretched out his leg, tripping Security Guard B as he rushed over. Guard B stumbled and crashed into the food cart. Seizing the moment, Peter tossed the remaining coffee into the face of Security Guard C.]
["Oops, I did it again! I'm really so clumsy today!" Peter apologized exaggeratedly while pulling off Guard A's coat.]
[Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gwen stepping into the elevator. To make it even more convincing, Peter shouted after her, "Hey! Miss! Stop!" as if he were just another security officer.]
[Gwen flashed a knowing smile as the elevator doors closed. Security Guard A tried to give chase, but Peter grabbed his arm, holding him back. Guard B finally disentangled himself from the food cart, while Guard C wiped coffee from his face, fuming.]
["Alright, alright, I'm leaving!" Peter said, backing away with a sheepish grin. But before Guard A could step forward, Peter subtly webbed his shoelaces together. As the guard lunged, he tripped and fell flat on his face.]
[With Gwen safely gone, Peter strolled away, grinning from ear to ear. Halfway down the hall, he couldn't resist doing a little celebratory hop.]
"Hahahaha, Peter Parker, are you always this mischievous?" Tony Stark chuckled as he watched Peter's antics on The Screen.
"Yeah! He's not just a chatterbox; the kid's got some serious moves!" Rhodes added, laughing along.
"He's completely different from the first generation Spider-Man," Banner observed, smiling. "The first one was more serious, more introverted. But this Peter? He's lively, funny… and a lot more playful. Of course, that's as long as the first-gen Peter doesn't get possessed by Venom."
"I agree," Rhodes said, raising his hand. "That dance scene still haunts me."
Natasha, who had just arrived at Tony's house, overheard the conversation and nodded in agreement.
"Hahaha, Peter!" Gwen laughed, watching the scene unfold on The Screen. She hadn't expected Peter to help her escape danger with such chaotic finesse. The guards looked utterly humiliated, but honestly, who wouldn't be in Spider-Man's hands?
Even the criminals couldn't feel too bad—they'd faced worse. Some of them had been strung up in webs, dangling from lampposts or buildings. And with two Spider-Men in the city now, crime rates in New York had plummeted.
Peter, however, wasn't in the mood to celebrate. He scratched his head awkwardly, then refocused on his work with Dr. Connors. But no matter how many simulations they ran, the system kept flashing the same result: failure.
Frustration bubbled inside Peter. He tried again and again, but the simulations didn't just fail—they often resulted in horrifying mutations, turning the subject into spider-like monsters.
Peter's heart sank. He didn't know how to save Harry. Connors sighed, sharing Peter's frustration. If Peter's blood had worked, maybe Connors could've regenerated his own missing arm.
"Damn it!" Peter finally snapped, slamming his fists onto the table. He began pacing the room, running his hands through his hair. No matter how hard he tried, the outcome never changed.
"Peter..." Gwen whispered, her eyes filled with worry. She knew how much Peter wanted to help Harry, but the results were undeniable. It seemed hopeless.
"What am I supposed to do?!" Peter shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "How do I save Harry?!" He glared at The Screen, as if it held the answers he so desperately needed.
["Peter Parker, do you really want to save Harry Osborn?" The narrator's voice echoed through the room, startling them.]
"Yes! I want to save him!" Peter shouted back. "Tell me what to do! You've told people things before—about Tony being a jerk, about Thor—"
Peter stared at The Screen, hoping it would help. Connors' eyes were wide with anticipation. Maybe, just maybe, The Screen could even help him regrow his arm.
["Then let's make a deal." The narrator's tone shifted, becoming more ominous. "You help me with something, and I'll help you save Harry Osborn. Deal?"]
"Deal!" Peter agreed instantly, not even asking for details. His logic was simple: if The Screen wanted to hurt him, he wouldn't stand a chance resisting it anyway.
["Good. Then this is what you want. As for your task, I'll tell you later."]
As the narration ended, a small bottle of glowing, white liquid materialized in Peter's hands. He stared at it, his heart pounding. Whatever this deal entailed, there was no turning back now.
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