Chapter 16: A Heart-to-Heart Between Two Girls! Jessica Gets Beaten Again!
"Alright, there's just one left!"
After taking down the Rhino, Ethan Lee landed in front of Norman Osborn, grabbed him by the neck, and lifted him off the ground. He was about to finish the job when Gwen intervened.
"Black Spider, thank you for helping me again, but please don't be impulsive. We should at least—"
Snap!
Before she could finish, Norman Osborn's head lolled to the side. He was dead.
"You—!"
Before Gwen could get another word out, Ethan vanished into the night.
She stomped her foot in frustration. "Again?! Can you at least let me finish my sentences?"
Still fuming, Gwen turned her thoughts to Ethan.
Meanwhile, Jessica ran up to her, eyes wide with disbelief. "Gwen? Is that you?"
Seeing reporters beginning to swarm the area, Gwen quickly lowered her voice. "It's me. Keep it down. I'll get us out of here first."
She wrapped an arm around Jessica's waist, shot out a strand of webbing, and swung them both away from the crowd.
High Above the City
Jessica's heart pounded as they soared between the buildings. "Oh my God! It really is you, Gwen!"
Gwen pulled back her hood and grinned. "Surprised?"
Now that she had been discovered, there was no point in denying it. Besides, Jessica wasn't exactly the type to make a big deal out of things.
A few minutes later, they landed on a rooftop. Jessica was still in shock. "So much happened today, Gwen…"
Gwen chuckled. "Yeah, I didn't expect you to have powers too."
"Superpowers, huh…" Jessica murmured, her expression darkening.
She hesitated before continuing, her voice quieter. "I got these abilities after the car accident. But the price I paid was losing my entire family…"
She exhaled slowly. "I never knew what to do with these powers. Maybe I was lucky to have my brother—he gave me a chance to live a carefree life again."
Then she turned to Gwen with a determined look. "But when I saw you… Ghost Spider… I realized something. If someone like you had been there during my accident, maybe things would've been different. So, I thought—maybe I could be a hero, too. Maybe I could stop what happened to me from happening to someone else."
Gwen listened closely, then gave a warm smile. "Jessica… Ethan would be proud of you."
Jessica snorted at the mention of her brother. "Him? Please. I know his temper too well. He doesn't care if I'm a superhero or not. If anything, he'd just get mad at me for making his life more complicated!"
Gwen giggled. Jessica's entire demeanor changed whenever she mentioned Ethan—it was cute, in a way.
If Jessica hadn't met Ethan, she would've been a completely different person.
He really is a good brother… Gwen thought to herself.
---
Lower East Side
"Hey, Jessica!"
Ethan Lee stood with his phone in hand, displaying a news article featuring a close-up of a girl's face—Jessica's face.
"If you're gonna play superhero, at least be a little more careful. I don't want my peaceful life being ruined."
Jessica, now wearing a black silk miniskirt, stood awkwardly before him, her fingers twisting nervously. She subtly shifted her stance, as if trying to move her backside out of his line of sight.
"Uh… it was an accident! I didn't mean for this to happen—it's all that big rhino's fault!" she stammered, avoiding eye contact.
Ethan arched a brow. "Right. The guy who's already been torn to pieces, and he's the one to blame?"
Ignoring him, he read aloud from his phone: "According to reports, a battle between super criminals and superheroes erupted in Queens… blah blah blah… The identities of Black Spider and Ghost Spider remain unknown. However, a girl calling herself the 'Female Knight' reportedly tripped during the fight, causing her mask to fall off—"
He paused, then shot her a look. "Tripped? Seriously? Could you be any dumber?"
"Ughh…!" Jessica pouted and whined dramatically. "B-Brother… I like you the most, you know that~?"
Ethan smirked. "Still trying to weasel your way out of this?"
Seeing no other way, Jessica went for her last resort—she lunged forward, throwing herself into his arms.
"Brother, I love you!"
This was her final gamble. If this didn't work, nothing would.
Ethan scoffed. "Oh, please. You really think that will work on me?"
Without hesitation, he caught her mid-air, spun her around, and dropped her across his knee.
Then, with practiced ease, he lifted her pleated skirt.
"Ah—No!"
SMACK!