Chapter 44: Chapter 44: If I Became A Monster, Would You Still Consider Me A Friend?
"They call him a genuine criminal," Gwen exclaimed indignantly.
"They didn't even mention a word about that freak and the robot. They're the real culprits!"
"Yeah," Peter casually nodded, showing no emotional response to the comments.
"You can't stop people from saying what they want, or change their opinions, Gwen. So, there's no need to get upset."
Peter silently mourned for Gwen for a second, thinking about the countless times she would face even harsher criticism and defamation once she became Spider-Woman.
Gwen defended Spider-Man, "I think it's unfair. They're biased against him."
"Do you have a good impression of that Spider-Man?" Peter curiously asked her.
"He's the kind of person I aspire to be," Gwen replied.
Gwen stuffed the newspaper into the locker and said to Peter, "Although it's not easy."
"Hey, good morning, Gwen, Peter," a voice came from behind.
Gwen turned around to see Harry.
"Good morning, Harry. I thought you'd be resting at home for a couple of days after that freak nearly got you," Gwen greeted Harry.
She had learned last night that Harry was safe.
"I just have some minor bruises, no need for rest at home," Harry shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.
But Gwen noticed something was off.
There was a clear red mark on Harry's face.
"Harry, are you okay?" Gwen asked with concern.
"Why'd you ask?"
"Your face," Gwen pointed to his face, puzzled.
"I accidentally bumped into something," Harry touched his still sore face, trying to act unaffected.
Although initially angry when slapped by Norman Osborn, he had calmed down by now.
Even if filled with negative emotions, he tried not to show them in front of his friends.
"Well, if you're not feeling well, you should go to the medical room," Gwen suggested to him.
Not wanting to pry further, Gwen left it at that and advised him.
Peter, standing nearby, naturally understood what caused the red mark on Harry's face, but he just glanced at it and remained silent.
Putting their backpacks in the locker, they walked towards the classroom together.
As they entered the classroom, they heard "Kong's" voice.
Kong was passionately recounting yesterday's big news to a group of friends.
"Spider-Man's stunt with the helicopter last night was incredible! My friend was on that subway."
Despite his tough appearance, even Kong seemed unusually interested in topics like superheroes and violence.
"He grabbed the helicopter, almost causing it to crash. Luckily, it didn't happen. And he kicked that freak out of the way with such force. His strength seems extraordinary," Kong exclaimed.
The bell rang for class to start, but "Kong" showed no signs of stopping.
"Hey, Kong, can you quiet down?" Gwen said to him, "It's time for class now."
Kong turned to Gwen, "What's up?"
"I said you'd better be quiet. You've been talking about Spider-Man all morning. Maybe it's time to take a break," she said, feeling a headache coming on. Was there anyone more obsessed with Spider-Man than herself?
"Not everyone wants to hear about it, so..."
Gwen added, "Could you please sit quietly?"
"Why can't I talk about Spider-Man? He saved everyone on that train. Why can't I talk about it?" Kong spread his hands, addressing Gwen.
Gwen sighed, "Maybe you could try talking about it outside the classroom, instead of here."
"What if I don't?" Kong, with an unfriendly expression, started approaching her.
Although Gwen's reputation as a top student was useful in school, Kong, who considered himself the "most useful fist," didn't buy into Gwen's authority.
Giving Peter a glance that said "I can handle this," Gwen then focused on the approaching Kong.
Just as Kong, wanting to "discuss" something with Gwen, took a couple of steps and reached Peter, he suddenly stumbled.
It seemed like he tripped over something, losing his balance and falling forward.
Terrified, he tried to grab onto something, but his flailing hands couldn't catch anything.
And at that moment, Gwen, in front of him, felt time suddenly slow down.
Her breathing became heavy, and she became acutely aware of the air and everything around her.
The movement of "Kong" rushing towards her slowed down in her eyes as well.
She could even clearly see the look of terror on his face.
Instinctively, she reached out her left hand and caught his falling body.
With a "thud," she caught "Kong's" massive frame with her left hand.
His chest seemed to be firmly glued to her hand.
Everyone in the classroom watched in shock as Gwen single-handedly caught "Kong."
What kind of strength does Gwen Stacy have?!
Gwen, realizing her current actions were somewhat inappropriate, panicked and immediately withdrew her hand.
As a result, "Kong," deprived of support, landed on the ground with a loud "thud."
The impact shook the ground, and "Kong," holding his chest, groaned in pain as he lay there.
The whole classroom fell silent, everyone staring at Gwen in astonishment.
Meanwhile, Gwen, with her mind in turmoil, looked up and met Peter's gaze.
"Sorry, I—I didn't know..."
She didn't know if she was apologizing to Peter or to "Kong" lying on the ground.
In the end, she didn't say anything and quickly ran out of the classroom alone.
Watching Gwen leave, Peter didn't chase after her, but furrowed his brows slightly.
Was this the period of confusion that comes with being a superhero?
Even someone like Gwen could feel lost?
Rubbing his chin, he fell into thought.
In the afternoon, after school, Peter left for the hospital.
Yesterday, he absorbed Frank's genes, causing a mutation in his body, so he needed to get checked.
Even though the embryo's genes had evolved, he couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't burst out of his body the next moment.
The embryo inside his body was already vastly different from the Xenomorph egg in his previous experience.
He couldn't rely on his previous experiences to judge and guess anymore.
Just as he boarded the subway heading to the New York Presbyterian Hospital, he received a text message from Gwen.
After Gwen left in the morning, she didn't return to the classroom.
It seemed like she took a day off.
The message contained only one line—"Peter, if I became a monster, would you still consider me a friend?"
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