On the dark night above the building, Jack was flying invisible in his plumber suit, watching how Peter and Gwen had defeated Bullseye.
"Red Queen, they did much better than expected, right?" he asked, watching Spider-Man and Spider-Woman leave.
"For beginners they did well, but they're still not at your level, Master," she said.
"Stop praising . Did you record the fight? I want to show them in the future."
"Yes, Master, I recorded it. But what's the use?"
"It has many uses. I'll tell you later. For now let's go do our work tonight — we only need 50 more points to unlock the next alien."
"Master, aren't you going to invite them to your organization? And introduce your hero identity?"
Hearing Red Queen's question, Jack thought about it. He had considered asking them to join, but they had just started their hero journey. Better to let them grow for a while before bringing them in.
"Let them grow first. I'll surprise them later." Jack looked out at the New York sky and flew off.
Gwen was swinging from one building to another when she noticed Spider-Man following her. She landed on the roof of a tall building and turned around.
"Hey, why are you following ?"
"I was just curious how you got your powers," Peter said. Then he noticed she didn't answer right away and quickly added, "It's fine if it's personal. I was just asking."
"Oh. Right." A short pause. "Your costu is actually pretty good though. The white and pink mix — that's a cool combination."
Peter opened his mouth to respond but then just... kept talking. Different topic. Then another one. Then another. Like he genuinely couldn't stop himself.
Gwen just watched him. She didn't interrupt. Didn't react much either. Just stood there with her arms crossed, quietly looking at him.
"Hey." Peter slowed down. "Say sothing. I've been the only one talking this whole ti." He looked at her more carefully. "Why do you keep staring at like that?"
He straightened up a little. "Are you impressed by the Spider-Man design?" He gestured at his costu, clearly fishing for a complint.
"It's really you, Peter."
He froze.
"Peter? What Peter?" He took a step back, hands up. "I'm not Peter. You've got the wrong guy." His voice was doing that thing where it tried too hard to sound casual and ended up sounding the opposite. Even his sentences started coming out a little jumbled, and he didn't even notice.
"Don't lie to ." Gwen tilted her head slightly, hand on her hip. "I've known Peter since we were young. I know how he acts. Like right now — when you're lying, you avoid eye contact."
Peter opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
Nothing ca out.
Who is she? How did she figure out my identity? Do I even know her? He couldn't just swing away without knowing how she found out. That would just make things worse.
He glanced around the rooftop. Nobody else up here.
"Okay. Fine. It's ." He pulled off his mask. "Happy? Now who are you?"
"I KNEW IT!" Gwen pointed at him excitedly. "I was right! You are Peter! I had a feeling from the start."
Peter stared at her. "Wait — you weren't even sure before?!" His shoulders dropped. "I just told myself for nothing." He looked genuinely devastated by his own decision.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay so seriously. Who are you?"
Gwen reached up and pulled off her mask—blonde hair. Familiar face.
Peter's brain stopped working for a second.
"...GWEN?!"
"What?" She smiled. "Surprised?"
"I — yeah." He blinked a few tis. "I really didn't expect my friend to be Spider-Woman." He was still processing it. "Like at all."
"Does anyone else know?"
"No. First day." Gwen tucked her mask under her arm. "I want to keep it that way. I don't want them worrying about ."
Peter nodded slowly. "Sa. If Uncle Ben or Aunt May found out—" He shook his head. "They'd never let leave the house again. Ouch—" He winced mid-sentence, shifting his weight off his left leg without thinking.
Gwen's eyes dropped to his leg imdiately. She hadn't noticed it before — he'd used his web to cover it up — but now there was a dark red stain soaking through the material.
"What happened to your leg?"
"Earlier fight. One bullet." He said it quickly, like saying it fast made it less serious.
She crouched down and checked it without asking permission.
"Did you take the bullet out?"
"...No."
Gwen stood up and looked at him. Not angry exactly. Just that specific kind of face that people make when they can't decide whether to be worried or annoyed and end up being both at the sa ti.
"Then what are you doing standing here talking, you idiot? Co to my place. I have dical equipnt. We can't go to a hospital with a bullet wound."
"Wait, you actually know how to do that?"
"More than enough for your case." She pulled her mask back on. "Let's go."
She jumped off the roof, shot a web at the next building, and was already swinging before he could say another word.
Peter watched her go for a second.
"...She's better at that than I am." He pulled his mask back on and jumped after her. Then halfway through the first swing, sothing hit him. "Oh, wait. I forgot to ask how she figured out I was Peter. As I don't want others to find out too."
He glanced ahead at her, already clearing the next rooftop.
He sighed and kept swinging.
Top floor. Luxury building. Night.
A phone rang on a large desk.
The man sitting behind it didn't rush. He picked it up on his own ti.
"Hello."
His expression didn't change much as he listened. But sothing behind his eyes shifted.
"Mm."
He hung up. Set the phone down carefully. Reached over and picked up a cigar from the table, took a slow puff, then pressed the small bell near the edge of the desk.
The door opened a mont later.
"Boss."
Wesley stood in the doorway, calm as always, waiting.
"Bullseye was arrested."
Wesley adjusted his glasses. A small smile crossed his face, the kind that didn't show what he was actually thinking. He stayed quiet and waited for the rest.
"Again." Kingpin's voice was low and even, but there was sothing underneath it. "Again, these people in masks are getting in my way. Taking down my n. Making moves in my city." He took another slow puff. "Do they think I'm running so kind of joke operation?"
He set the cigar down.
"Wesley. Put a bounty on those two masked vigilantes." Kingpin stared out the window, his voice calm. "I'll remind them why they call the King of the Underworld."
"And get a lawyer for Bullseye. I want him sitting in that chair—" he nodded toward the seat across from his desk "—by tomorrow."
"Understood." Wesley nodded once and left, closing the door quietly behind him.
Kingpin stayed at the window. Cigar in hand. Looking out over the city lights below like he owned all of it.
Because as far as he was concerned, he did.
A/N:🚨 Power Stone Goals! 🚨
🔥 200 PS = 1 Bonus Chapter
🔥 500 PS = 2 Bonus Chapters (Max 2/week)
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