Peter smiled slightly:
"Maybe Mr. Stark thinks I'm a genius. He even told me before that I could work at his company after graduating."
"That's amazing."
Gwen gave Peter a thumbs-up.
"Come sit closer."
Peter suddenly spoke.
"What?"
"Come sit next to me." Peter patted the couch beside him.
Gwen's face instantly turned red. Though she felt a bit shy, she couldn't resist getting closer to Peter.
Gwen pecked Peter on the cheek like a little bird.
"You still haven't confessed."
"Then let's do it now."
Peter took Gwen's hand.
The midday sunlight streamed through the window, falling on their faces.
It wasn't harsh or scorching.
Just warm and bright.
"Ahem, Miss Gwen Stacy, would you like to be Peter Parker's girlfriend?"
"What's with the formality? It's not like we're getting married."
"I do!"
Peter pulled Gwen into his arms and kissed the blonde girl deeply.
...
Forty minutes later, the two walked out of the restaurant hand in hand.
They didn't pay a single cent.
Peter didn't feel the slightest bit guilty.
He had saved Tony's life. Mooching a couple of meals wasn't too much to ask.
After that kiss, his relationship with Gwen had taken a step forward.
They had officially moved beyond friendship and into a new chapter.
"I'll walk you back to school."
"No, Peter. Isn't your distant relative coming?"
"You need to get ready. I can go back by myself."
"See you later."
In the past, Gwen's voice had always been clear and crisp, but after that kiss, this somewhat tomboyish blonde had started speaking in a softer, more delicate tone.
And honestly, it sounded pretty good.
After lunch, Peter went home and finished his schoolwork, even doing Gwen's share.
Then he took a two-hour nap before heading out to buy groceries.
In the past, Peter would always head to the discount section for bargains, but now he went straight to the premium section.
Admittedly, the ingredients in the premium section were much fresher.
On his way home, Peter also bought a bouquet of flowers.
He returned home full of joy, only to receive a call from George.
Peter was a bit confused. In his memory, George had never called him before.
"Hello, Uncle George, are you looking for Gwen?"
"She should be at school rehearsing for the band. She's not with me."
A barely audible sigh came from the other end of the line.
"Sorry, Peter. I have some bad news to tell you."
"Your aunt has passed away."
Thud!
The flowers fell to the ground, their yellow petals scattering everywhere.
"What happened?"
"You'd better come to the hospital."
Twenty minutes later, at a public hospital in Queens.
Peter saw Uncle Ben sitting on a chair outside the ward, his head bowed.
He looked utterly exhausted.
"Uncle Ben…"
Hearing Peter's voice, Uncle Ben looked up, his eyes red, clearly having shed many tears.
"Lisa… she's gone…"
Peter gave the old man a hug, waiting for his emotions to settle.
Then he continued to ask.
"What happened? How did Aunt Lisa…?"
"She was hit by A-Train."
"A-Train?"
Peter frowned, finding it hard to believe.
"How… how could this happen?!"
"It was the Seven from Vought International. That guy called A-Train."
"We had just seen Lisa. We were across the street from her."
"She was standing on the sidewalk waiting for the light, waving at us."
Uncle Ben's voice choked up.
"Who knew the next second she was hit by A-Train? Her body was torn apart. There wasn't even a body left."
Peter clenched his fists uncontrollably, his eyes slightly red.
"The Seven!!"
"A-Train!!"
Peter wasn't unfamiliar with this guy. In his past life, he had watched The Boys, an American TV series.
There weren't many good people in Vought International.
All the superheroes were packaged products!
They made movies, commercials, and livestreams, all for one purpose: to make money!
As for those superhumans, most of them were scumbags!
A-Train was one of them!
His superpower was super speed.
"Aunt May was scared. The doctor said she needs rest. George is handling the hospital paperwork."
"Go see her."
Peter nodded and walked into the ward.
Thanks to George's position as police chief, the hospital had given them special treatment. Aunt May was in a private room.
Now, Aunt May was lying in bed, tear stains still on her face.
"Aunt May."
Peter walked over and sat by her bed.
"Peter, I'm fine."
"This isn't over," Peter said in a low voice.
"Don't do anything foolish, child."
"This was Lisa's fate. The people who killed her aren't ordinary. The law won't be on our side."
Peter didn't respond.
"The law can't punish these guys, but the Punisher can!"
"Take care, Aunt May."
"Aunt Lisa wouldn't want you to be so sad."
"Don't worry. Like Uncle Ben said, good will be rewarded, and evil will be punished."
...
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