[Gwen was walking down the street, her bag slung over her shoulder, when Peter suddenly appeared behind her, swinging from a web. But instead of landing gracefully, he smacked right into a wall. "Ah!" Peter yelped, then quickly called out, "Gwen!"]
[Gwen jumped, startled by his sudden appearance. Once she recovered, she greeted him with a cautious smile. Peter walked up to her, slightly rubbing his head. "Hey! I need to tell you something!"]
["I'm going to be late!" Gwen replied quickly, glancing at her watch. She didn't have time for a chat—her interview was too important.]
["Just a few seconds! That's all I need!" Peter insisted, trailing after her.]
["No, sorry, Peter!" Gwen said, picking up her pace. She arrived at a building draped with a British flag, but before she could enter, Peter stepped in front of her.]
["Just give me one minute, Gwen! I promise I'll leave after that!" Peter pleaded, his voice rushed and desperate. "Everything's a mess!"]
["My dad, my mom... everything I thought I knew about them is fake! Fake! All of it!" Peter rambled, his words tumbling out faster than he could think. He just needed someone to listen.]
["And Harry—I don't know what to do about him! I want to save him because he's my best friend. But what if my blood doesn't work? What if it makes things worse? I don't know, Gwen! I can't think straight!"]
[Gwen listened, trying to stay patient, but she was already late. She could see how anxious Peter was, but she didn't have time to help him sort through his thoughts.]
["There's something I've been meaning to tell you, Gwen..." Peter started, unaware of how urgent her situation was. He didn't want her to leave for the UK without hearing him out.]
[But before he could finish, a staff member approached them. "Ms. Stacy? Shall I take you upstairs?"]
[Both Peter and Gwen turned toward the voice. Gwen quickly responded, "Yes! I'm sorry I'm late, but could you give me just one more minute?"]
[The staff member nodded politely. Peter, finally noticing the British flag hanging overhead, frowned in confusion.]
["Wait… where are we?" Peter asked, his brow furrowed.]
["I... I have to go," Gwen explained, hesitant. "This is the final interview round for Oxford University."]
["Oxford?" Peter's heart sank. "I didn't even know you…"]
["Oh, okay!" Peter stammered, realizing he had completely interrupted her important day. Trying to recover, he suddenly blurted, "Sorry to bother you, ma'am... Madam! Who am I? I'm Johns Hopkins! One of the youngest professors at Harvard University!" He gave an awkward, exaggerated bow.]
["I've been trying to recruit her for my research team. She's the most brilliant person I know—a scientific genius! But… anyway, it's fine! I'm sorry for the interruption…"]
[Peter backed away, cringing at his own ridiculous lie. Gwen, both embarrassed and amused, called after him. "Peter… Peter!"]
[She caught up to him quickly. "What is it? What did you want to tell me?"]
[Peter sighed, but no words came out. Gwen studied his face, reading the conflict in his expression. "Peter… I have to go to England. This is really important to me."]
[Peter pressed his lips together, nodding reluctantly but unable to find the right words.]
[Gwen's eyes softened, but her voice was tinged with sadness. "I don't know… Maybe we're not on the same path anymore. You know? Maybe… we've drifted apart." She paused, her voice breaking slightly. "I don't… I have to go, Peter. I just have to."]
[She turned to leave, giving him a bittersweet smile. Peter called after her one last time. When she turned around, he gave her a small, encouraging gesture. "Good luck, Gwen."]
[As Gwen followed the staff member inside, Peter stood frozen, his hands trembling at his sides. A fire burned in his chest, a mix of frustration and heartache.]
"Peter, when did you become the youngest professor at Harvard?" Uncle Ben chuckled as he watched Peter's antics from afar.
"Yeah, yeah!" Aunt May teased while sewing a new Spider-suit. "Maybe you should have a little talk with him, Ben. Get him to stop making up stories like that."
"You're right," Uncle Ben agreed, shaking his head with a smile. "I'll definitely talk to him when he gets back. That boy needs to drop that bad habit."
"Gwen, are you really going to Oxford?" Harry asked curiously as he fiddled with a secret key, searching for any hidden documents left behind by McCann. The investigators had already departed, heading to Ravencroft Criminal Asylum.
Harry had promised to alert them if he uncovered anything new, and with Spider-Man vouching for him, they were satisfied for now.
"I don't know yet," Gwen admitted, shaking her head. She hadn't received any confirmation from Oxford, and it puzzled her. Could the mysterious Screen broadcasts have influenced the admissions office's decision?
"No matter where Gwen goes, I'll follow her!" Peter said with a smile, wrapping his arms around Gwen.
"Wow, that's romantic! Peter, I didn't know you had it in you!" Harry teased, raising an eyebrow at his friend.
"Yeah, well, that's because I hadn't met Gwen before," Peter shot back smoothly. Gwen rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips.
"Hahaha!" Connors laughed, watching the pair with amusement. Not wanting to endure more of their lovey-dovey display, he stood up. "Alright, I've had enough of this. I'll see you guys later," he said, waving goodbye as he left Harry's office.
[Peter returned to his room, his mind racing. Every thought of Gwen leaving for England or the truth about his father being a traitor gnawed at him. The idea of being separated from Gwen, of growing apart from her, filled him with frustration.]
[In a fit of anger, he tore down all the photos and documents from his clue wall, scattering them across the floor. The painstaking work he had done unraveling his father's past was now in shambles.]
[Spotting the remote control resting on his briefcase, Peter grabbed it and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into pieces, and, to his surprise, a handful of coins spilled out.]
[Peter stared at the coins, realization dawning on him. Richard Parker must have hidden them for a reason.]
[He carefully poured the remaining coins into his hand, Aunt May's words about Richard's daily routines echoing in his mind.]
[Sitting down at his computer, Peter began searching for information about Roosevelt's secret station. As he read through the results, he muttered to himself.]
["Line 61… a hidden extension of the D subway line in New York City. Located beneath Pershing Square. It was used to secretly transport President Franklin Roosevelt… to hide his polio."]
[Peter studied the coin in his palm, his mind racing. He was certain now—there had to be a secret base hidden by Richard Parker at Roosevelt's station.]
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