Morning sunlight stread through the apartnt window as Jack returned from his run.
He stepped inside, breathing steadily as the quiet of the room replaced the noise of the street. The small apartnt looked exactly as it always did — plain furniture, bare walls, and a single desk pushed against the window.
Jack tossed his jacket over the back of a chair and dropped into the seat at the desk. The laptop booted up with a soft hum.
On his wrist, the Omnitrix rested quietly, its green core dim in the morning light. Jack stared at it for a mont.
Last night had proven sothing important.
Speed alone wasn't enough.
He leaned forward and began typing.
New York cri statistics.
Within seconds the screen filled with results — police reports, local news articles, public safety databases, forums where citizens reported suspicious activity, even amateur cri trackers run by curious internet users.
Jack clicked through them one by one.
"Alright… let's see what this city is hiding."
Queens robbery reports. Hell's Kitchen gang activity. Drug shipnts near the docks. Illegal weapons deals in Brooklyn. So websites even had community maps where users placed markers for incidents.
Jack opened one of those. The map loaded.
Red dots filled the city.
"…Wow."
He zood in. Certain neighborhoods looked like soone had spilled red paint across the screen — Hell's Kitchen, the docks, several areas in Brooklyn.
Jack leaned closer.
"Those areas are basically glowing."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So if I patrol here…" He drew a circle around one of the clusters. "…I can earn Hero Points faster."
The system panel appeared in his vision.
[ Hero Points: 10 ]
[ Next Alien Unlock: 100 ]
Jack leaned back in the chair. "Still a long way to go." He crossed his arms. "At this rate… maybe a week."
Then he glanced toward the corner of the room. The guitar he bought yesterday leaned against the wall.
Jack stood up and picked it up. He strumd a few chords. The sound rang through the apartnt — clean and smooth.
Jack smiled slightly.
He checked the address on his phone.
Gwen Stacy — Queens
Jack grabbed the guitar case and headed out.
The Stacy house stood in a quiet residential neighborhood. A small garden decorated the front yard, bordered by a neat white wooden fence. The houses along the street looked peaceful and well maintained — very different from the rougher neighborhood Jack was used to.
Jack walked up the path and pressed the doorbell.
Ding Dong.
A mont later the door opened. A woman in her late thirties stood there. Blonde hair, blue eyes. She looked almost identical to Gwen.
Jack blinked.
Wait… I thought Gwen didn't have a sister.
He quickly cleared his throat. "Hi… is Gwen ho?"
The woman smiled warmly. "You must be Jack."
Jack scratched the back of his head. "Uh… yeah."
"Gwen told about the new band mber."
Jack chuckled awkwardly. "I was actually wondering if she had an older sister."
The woman laughed softly. "Oh dear. I'm her mother."
Jack froze.
"…Oh."
For a mont his brain stopped working. She looked far younger than he expected. George Stacy must be a very happy man every night.
Jack forced himself to look normal again. "Nice to et you, Mrs. Stacy."
She stepped aside with a friendly smile. "My na is Helen Stacy. Co in."
Jack stepped inside. The house felt warm and welcoming. Family photos decorated the hallway walls. Sowhere upstairs, the faint sound of music drifted down the staircase.
Mrs. Stacy pointed upward. "Music room is upstairs."
Jack nodded. "Thanks." He headed upstairs.
Jack pushed open the door.
Gwen stood beside an amplifier adjusting her guitar. Peter sat behind the drum set nervously spinning a drumstick between his fingers. Mary Jane leaned casually against the keyboard.
Gwen looked up. "Right on ti."
Jack grinned. "I thought I'd be the first one here."
Peter pointed at his watch. "You're two minutes late."
Jack blinked. "You actually tid it?"
Peter shrugged. "I panic when I'm early."
MJ waved dramatically. "Welco to band practice."
Jack set his guitar case down. "So what's the plan?"
Gwen tapped the whiteboard behind her. Written across it in bold letters:
MIDTOWN SCHOOL FESTIVAL — BAND COMPETITION
"Monday," Gwen said. "So today we practice seriously."
Peter imdiately raised his hand. "Define seriously."
Gwen stared at him. "Less complaining."
Peter sighed. "That sounds exhausting."
MJ laughed. "Don't worry, Parker. I'll complain for you."
Jack picked up the spare guitar. Peter twirled his drumsticks again. "Alright. Let's warm up."
MJ placed her fingers over the keyboard. Gwen lifted her guitar.
"Three. Two. One."
Music exploded into the room. Drums thundered, electric guitars roared through the amplifier, and MJ's voice carried the lody over all of it. Jack joined smoothly, his chords blending into the sound as if he had been playing with them for years.
Peter suddenly stopped mid-beat. "Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
"…That actually sounded good."
MJ raised an eyebrow. "You sound surprised."
Peter pointed at Jack. "He's only been here one day!"
Jack shrugged. "Natural talent."
Gwen smirked. "Or luck."
They kept playing. Song after song followed — mistakes, laughter, adjustnts. Peter missed a beat. MJ forgot a lyric. Jack played a wrong chord once. Hours passed almost without anyone noticing.
Eventually the door opened. Mrs. Stacy stepped inside carrying a tray.
"Lunch ti."
Peter dropped his drumsticks instantly. "Best words I've heard all day."
MJ laughed. "You say that every ti food appears."
Peter grabbed a sandwich. "And I stand by it."
They gathered around a small table. Jack leaned back in his chair. "This is nice."
MJ nodded. "Band life."
Peter pointed at Jack. "You realize if we win tomorrow this becos our personality."
Jack shrugged. "I can live with that."
Then Gwen suddenly rembered sothing. "Oh right." She looked at Jack. "Didn't my dad tell you about the house?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah."
Captain George Stacy had ntioned a small house available nearby. Much safer than Jack's old apartnt.
Gwen stood up. "Let's go check it out."
Peter grabbed another sandwich. "Field trip."
Ten minutes later they arrived. The house stood only two streets away from the Stacy ho — small, two floors, but clean and in a quiet neighborhood.
Jack stepped inside slowly. "…This is way better than my apartnt."
Peter opened the kitchen cabinets. "You could actually cook here."
Jack looked at him. "You say that like I know how."
Peter shrugged. "Microwave counts."
MJ peeked upstairs. "And the bedroom is huge."
Jack turned to Gwen. "I'm taking it."
Gwen smiled. "Good choice. Move tomorrow?"
Jack nodded. "Yeah."
Peter raised his hand. "We'll help."
Jack blinked. "You guys don't have to."
MJ waved dismissively. "Friends help friends."
Peter pointed at the empty living room. "And you said you barely own anything."
Jack laughed. "That's true."
"Then tomorrow morning." They shook on it.
That night Jack returned to his apartnt. He sat at the desk and opened the laptop again.
The cri map glowed on the screen. Red dots scattered across the city. Jack highlighted the worst areas — Hell's Kitchen, the docks, several streets near the harbor.
He leaned back in his chair. "So…" Jack glanced at the Omnitrix. "Patrol route."
Step one: Hell's Kitchen. Step two: Dockyards. Step three: Industrial areas.
Jack smiled. "This is basically leveling up." Hero Points, alien unlocks, cri reduction. A clean grind.
He stood up and stretched. Tomorrow was the band competition, which ant tonight he needed to finish hero work early.
Jack stepped onto the balcony. The city stretched across the horizon — lights glowing, traffic moving, millions of people living their lives. And sowhere out there, cri was happening right now.
Jack tapped the Omnitrix. Green light glowed faintly. He grinned.
"Alright. Let's hunt."
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