It was a shame that Aron's surprise didn't last long.
The chance to play the classic "hero saves the girl" scene disappeared faster than it came.
From the alley came the dull thuds of fists and feet, and then Gwen stepped out, carrying her bag over her shoulder and looking completely calm.
"Hmph~"
"I told you not to come any closer."
There was a satisfied smile on her face, the confidence of a woman who knows she can protect herself and doesn't allow anyone to underestimate her.
Then she turned her head… and spotted Aron standing a few steps away, with an expression that was a mix of confusion and fascination.
"Aron? What are you doing here!?"
Gwen flinched and almost panicked, starting to adjust her jacket, trying to look more proper and quieter.
"I live nearby," Aron replied, looking over her shoulder.
Two attackers lay unconscious in the alley, as peacefully as if they had fallen asleep on the concrete.
"Eh, it's not what you think… I can explain… actually, everything was under control..." Gwen tried to find the words.
But then Aron, without hesitation, said:
"Gwen, do you have superpowers?"
His question echoed in her ears like thunder.
"How do you know?!" she replied instinctively, then quickly stammering corrected herself: "No, I mean, no, it's… I mean… I have to go!"
She turned to run away, but Aron gently grabbed her wrist.
"I'm sorry, I really have to…"
She tried to pull away but realized something terrifying, she couldn't.
Despite all her strength, gained after being bitten by a genetically modified spider, she couldn't break free.
Gwen looked up, eyes wide open.
"You…"
"That's right, you think so too," Aron answered calmly.
"So… you were bitten by a spider too?"
Gwen was speechless.
…
On the way back, Gwen could barely hide her shock.
"You're a demon hunter!?"
Her face was full of disbelief.
"I actually have your fight illustrations saved on my computer!"
"And yeah, honestly, you look kind of scary in that demon form… but in real life, you look… different."
She moved closer to him, as if trying to find a trace of that frightening energy on his face.
But there was nothing.
"When were you bitten by the spider?" Aron asked, lightly tapping her forehead with his fingers.
"A few days ago," Gwen replied. "The school organized a visit to the OsCorp lab."
She paused for a moment, then continued.
"Actually, my apartment used to be Peter's… During that second New York incident, he and his family were evacuated. He gave me the keys, I said I'd visit, and in the end, I just moved in."
Aron nodded, now completely understanding.
"So you had nowhere else to go… so Peter gave you his apartment?"
"That's right," she confirmed.
Aron paused for a moment.
Another wave of realization about the "butterfly effect" washed over him. If everything followed the classic timeline, Spider-Man was supposed to be Peter Parker, and Gwen would have never become Spider-Woman.
But now… Peter had skipped his fate, and instead, Gwen was the one bitten by the spider.
"Then… maybe now you'll be able to live a normal life," he said quietly. "At least… your Uncle Ben might stay alive."
He sounded thoughtful, almost wistful.
Inside, he felt a mild regret for Peter's fate, but he knew things never stay simple, not in this world.
But Aron didn't think that was a bad thing.
Because no matter the version of Peter Parker, once he becomes Spider-Man, his Uncle Ben will always sacrifice himself. And from that tragedy comes the famous lesson – "With great power comes great responsibility."
"By the way, what are you doing in Queens? Looking for Peter Parker?"
"Hmm."
Gwen nodded, then smiled slyly, patted her schoolbag on her back, and said:
"Lately, since he was evacuated, the school gave us a lot of homework."
"Of course, as a caring person, I'm going to deliver it to him personally."
...
"Then he must be very grateful."
Aron smiled. He felt like he was seeing another side of Gwen.
The two of them walked side by side, talking lightly. Soon they returned to the neighborhood.
"I won't follow you further."
"If you ever need help, you can find me at this address."
Aron gave her a card with the address of the temple in New York.
Gwen took the card with a slight smile.
This was her first encounter with another superhuman being after gaining powers. She didn't have to hide anymore, she could speak freely about everything.
That feeling meant more to her than she expected, she felt less lost, less scared.
"Thank you, Aron."
She didn't know where the courage came from, but she suddenly rose on her toes and kissed Aron on the cheek.
Then she ran off toward the Parker residence.
"???"
"Is this really a typical American high school girl?"
"Truly direct and sincere."
Aron smiled and shook his head.
...
When he got home, dinner was already ready – Felicia had cooked.
While eating, Aron suddenly remembered something. His gaze passed over the faces of Elektra, Felicia, and Wanda, one by one.
Faced with his gaze, Elektra remained calm, eating as if she hadn't noticed anything.
Felicia lowered her head, her eyes flickering nervously, she didn't dare look at him.
Wanda, on the other hand, looked at him with mild confusion.
"Mister Aron, is something wrong?" she asked cautiously.
At the start of their story, he was an adult man to her, and a very handsome one at that.
Wanda's face flushed, even to the roots of her ears.
"I'm thinking about a question."
"What kind of question?" Wanda asked, lowering her gaze.
"How can a dominant and strong woman be… conquered or subdued?"
Aron put down his utensils and looked seriously at the women.
"..."
"..."
Wanda's blush vanished like it had never been there.
Even Felicia looked at Aron in disbelief as if to say: Seriously?
In front of a girl who is obviously in love with you, you talk about wanting to conquer other women?
And on top of that, you're asking her for advice?
Felicia had a thousand words on the tip of her tongue, but said none.
"It's not what you think," Aron quickly clarified. "When I say 'conquer', I mean for her to join me, to become my ally in battle."
When she heard that, Wanda sighed in relief.
Though she didn't know why she had gotten so nervous about his question.
"Don't look at me, I'm not that type, I'm easy to win over."
While Wanda and Felicia clearly made it known they couldn't help, Elektra suddenly spoke up.
Until then, she had been silent.
"The stronger and more dominant a woman is, the more obvious her weak point becomes."
"If you find her vulnerable side, you can break her with one strike."