"What's wrong with him? Wanted Spider-Man? He's out there saving people!"
"The one who actually hurt people was that giant lizard! Can't he see that?!"
"Spider-Man even saved that bastard who should have gone straight to hell. Damn it, he had no idea what that Ratha was planning to do!"
"Isn't this George Stacy? Gwen's father? How did Gwen end up with such a father? Does he not understand right from wrong?!"
Because of George's speech on the screen, countless citizens were filled with outrage. The scene had been witnessed by so many—Spider-Man had risked his life to save those trapped in the car, yet George refused to acknowledge that and continued treating him as a criminal.
Standing in his living room, George let out a deep sigh and ran a hand over his face, his frustration evident. As he stared at the screen, he could already picture the angry crowd gathering outside.
Since Gwen had inadvertently revealed their home's location to Peter on the screen, it didn't take long for people to track it down. Though they couldn't break in, that didn't stop them from swarming the entrance and loudly voicing their anger.
Inside Gwen's room, both she and Peter could hear the shouting below. Curious, they leaned out the window—only to find a restless mob forming at the front door.
"Oh no! They must be here because of Dad!" Gwen quickly put the pieces together. Her father's words had painted him in a terrible light, and the citizens were here to let him know exactly how they felt about it.
She turned to Peter, her eyes pleading for help.
Peter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. There was no easy way out of this. The reputation of the NYPD was already on the line, and if things weren't handled properly, it could suffer an even greater blow.
He reassured Gwen, telling her to stay in the room and continue adjusting to her newfound abilities. Meanwhile, he prepared to go downstairs and face the crowd.
"Hey! Peter! Wait, you can't go out looking like that!" George called after him and tossed a fresh shirt from his closet. Only then did Peter realize just how filthy his clothes were.
After quickly changing, he and George made their way downstairs.
Upstairs, Gwen, Helen, and the others weren't content to just sit back and wait. They rushed to the balcony, peering down at the scene unfolding below.
Peter had to put in a considerable effort to calm the people down, his mouth going dry from all the talking. It took patience, reassurance, and a few well-chosen words to finally disperse the crowd.
Once the last of them had left, Peter let out an exhausted groan and slumped his shoulders.
"Oh man… This is such a headache. We need a long-term solution for this."
George, rubbing his temples, couldn't help but agree. "Yeah… And the worst part? It's always because of something I said in the screen. Every damn time." He sighed heavily. "Honestly, if you hadn't stepped in, I might've had to resign by tomorrow."
[On campus, Gwen and Peter sat together on the bleachers, watching the football team practice. The cool autumn breeze rustled through the trees, carrying with it the faint sounds of students chattering and the occasional cheer from the field.]
[Peter reached into his backpack and pulled out a small glass specimen container. Inside, a tiny spider twitched.]
[Gwen's eyes widened as she took the bottle from him. "It's… beautiful."]
[Peter smirked. "Yeah, well, it also has one hell of a bite."]
[He still remembered the excruciating discomfort after being bitten—the fever, the dizziness, the overwhelming sensory overload that followed. The first few days had been torture.]
["Who else knows about this?" Gwen asked curiously, gently tilting the glass to get a better look at the tiny creature.]
["Only you," Peter replied with a soft smile.]
[Her heart skipped a beat. "Really? Just me?"]
[Peter nodded. The weight of that realization settled over her—it meant he trusted her. This wasn't just some random detail; it was a secret, their secret.]
[A warm, tingling sensation spread through her chest.]
["Hey," Peter hesitated for a moment before asking, "you don't… actually believe what the police say about me, do you?"]
[Gwen scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Of course not! But does having these powers scare you?"]
[Peter's lips curled into a small, forced smile. "No, not at all."]
[But Gwen saw through him instantly. She could tell he was scared, that deep down, he worried about being hunted down like some kind of lab experiment. Still, she decided not to push him on it. Instead, she changed the subject.]
["What exactly did that thing on the bridge look like?"]
["It was huge—definitely not human," Peter said, the memory still vivid in his mind.]
["Then you need to keep a low profile," Gwen reminded him, her tone serious.]
[Peter scoffed. "That's not gonna happen."]
["You have to," Gwen insisted, concern flashing across her face.]
[Peter shook his head, unwavering.]
["Why?" she asked, frustrated.]
["Because last night, those people on the bridge—if that thing had attacked them just a second longer, they'd be dead. I have to stop it," Peter said, his voice filled with determination.]
[He had spent the whole night thinking about it, replaying Uncle Ben's words over and over in his mind.]
["With great power comes great responsibility."]
[Uncle Ben and My dad had always believed that if you had the ability to help others, then you had a moral obligation to do so. Peter couldn't ignore that—not now, not ever.]
[Gwen shook her head. "This isn't your responsibility, Peter."]
["Maybe," Peter murmured, his eyes softening as he gazed at her. Then, out of nowhere, he grinned. "You know, I really like kissing you. You're actually pretty good at it."]
[Gwen's cheeks flushed pink, and she immediately looked away. "Shut up…"]
[Peter chuckled. "I'm serious!"]
[Gwen hesitated before meeting his gaze again. "Well… For the record, I really liked kissing you too."]
["Really?" Peter smirked, leaning in closer.]
[Just as their lips were about to meet, a football suddenly came flying toward them. Without even turning his head, Peter instinctively reached out and caught it one-handed.]
[The players on the field froze in shock.]
[Then, without thinking, Peter threw it back—with way more force than necessary. The ball shot through the air and slammed into the goalpost, denting it on impact.]
[Silence fell over the field.]
[Peter blinked. Gwen slowly turned around, her eyes wide.]
["Uh… Oops?" Peter muttered.]
["Who the hell threw that?!" one of the football players shouted, running toward the goalpost in disbelief.]
[Peter and Gwen exchanged awkward glances before bursting into laughter.]
Later that evening, the family sat together watching TV. The news reported that Oscorp Industries had announced their decision to destroy all existing samples of the Lizard formula.
Meanwhile, the Mayor of New York City held a press conference, announcing an official investigation into Oscorp and promising justice for the deaths of Richard and Mary Parker.
What truly caught Peter's attention, however, was the Mayor's final statement:
"Spider-Man has been unfairly treated. Moving forward, we will ensure that no misunderstandings arise. He is not the enemy—he is a hero."
Peter's breath hitched. For the first time in a long while, hope flickered in his heart. Maybe—just maybe—he was finally one step closer to the truth.
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