"Then, if he doesn't tell me, are you planning to keep doing this?" Gwen asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I haven't been doing this with him for long. I heard from George that the discussions between Congress and the Dragon Kingdom are wrapping up," Barry said, standing up and changing out of his costume into pale casual trousers. "Soon, I'll officially join the police force to fight crime, switching from night to day shifts."
"Don't see this as a good thing. It's dangerous. Ever since I was little, I've worried about my dad not coming back when he left in his police uniform with a gun," Gwen said, her voice tinged with sadness.
"Don't worry, I'll have his back at the police station," Barry assured her with a playful move reminiscent of a dance step.
Gwen couldn't help but laugh at his words, her sadness dissipating at his playful demeanor.
Before she could respond, the bedroom door opened.
"Who's talking about protecting me?" George entered, raising an eyebrow at Barry, who was still posing with his playful move.
"Dad, when did you get here?" Gwen asked in surprise.
"Aren't you supposed to knock before entering your daughter's room?" Barry quipped, relaxing his stance. "Anyway, if you've caught me, there's nothing to hide."
Instead of addressing Barry's complaint, George responded to his daughter's question.
"I just got back because I found something I wanted to confirm," George said with a smile, turning to Barry. "You're the one who's been hanging around with Spider-Man, right?"
"Do you have proof?" Barry yawned and replied indifferently.
"No, but I saw two figures on the Williamsburg Bridge today. One looked a lot like you," George explained. He had rushed home to see if Barry was there, suspecting he was the figure with Spider-Man.
But now, even though Barry was in Gwen's bedroom, George's doubts lingered.
He scanned Gwen's room for anything that might confirm his suspicions.
Luckily for Barry, he had already stashed his costume and changed into something casual. George found nothing incriminating, and since it was his daughter's room, he refrained from searching further.
Instead, he shifted the conversation.
"To be honest, even though I was prepared, talking to you is still quite remarkable."
"As remarkable as it is, let's keep it quiet, or I might end up dissected," Barry shrugged. Acting smart was one thing; speaking fluent English was another, and it would raise eyebrows.
So far, Barry hadn't shown much. He spent his days in the public eye and nights assisting Peter with crime-fighting.
"Of course, I won't breathe a word. In fact, it reassures me about you joining the police force," George said. Being able to communicate meant Barry was unlikely to lose control during operations.
"But it would be better if you could tell me who Spider-Man is," George added, looking into Barry's eyes.
"Sorry, I haven't seen his real face. He always masks up before we act," Barry replied calmly, tacitly admitting his involvement with Spider-Man.
George scrutinized Barry's eyes and expression, but the panda's face was too different to discern any deception.
"You might not understand human society, but your actions with Spider-Man are illegal and disruptive," George warned. "If your collaboration is discovered, society's reaction is unpredictable."
Though people tend to be more forgiving toward animals, not everyone shares that sentiment.
"Alright, I'll stay in for now until everything is sorted out," Barry said, spreading his paws in a gesture of compliance.
George nodded, satisfied. "Because of today's events, we need to provide answers to New Yorkers. We'll be attempting to apprehend Spider-Man soon, so I hope you stay out of it."
"If something were to happen to you, it wouldn't just be a New York issue; it could become an international incident," George continued. The panda was symbolic of the Dragon Kingdom's peace efforts, and any harm would escalate tensions.
In this world, the Dragon Kingdom was a formidable power, though its full strength was unknown. Added to that, animal protection groups ensured Barry's favorable treatment.
"So, how are the talks going? You've mentioned that results are coming soon," Barry asked.
George pondered for a moment.
"If all goes well, we should hear something by tomorrow. Then you'll be provided with specialized protective gear from tech companies."
"When you start at the police station, I'll teach you about human society."
"I hope you'll be a good teacher," Barry said, tilting his head. He wasn't familiar with the American social system, only knowing about the issues of freedom and race from hearsay.
His upbringing was liberal, with no corporal punishment, and independence was encouraged at eighteen.
However, during his recent nighttime activities, he witnessed firsthand the reality of freedom and racial tensions.
George, having gleaned the information he needed, left for the police station again.
The Williamsburg Bridge incident had caused significant uproar, and a press conference was scheduled for the following day.
After confirming Barry's connection to Spider-Man, George considered planting a tracker on Barry to trace Spider-Man's whereabouts.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. Barry wasn't foolish, and installing a tracker would be challenging. If Barry discovered he was being used, it would do more harm than good.
On one hand, there was Barry's cute appearance, and on the other, the potential value he could bring to the police force.
Thus, increasing police efforts to capture Spider-Man seemed the best course of action.
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