"You like him too, don't you? Of course you do. You're me, so I know you at least a little."
Spider-Gwen tried to keep her emotions steady, but the thought of the boy she liked being on someone else's mind still bothered her.
Even if that someone was another version of herself.
"Yeah. It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? A twenty-six-year-old woman liking a seventeen-year-old high school boy. You're going to laugh at me, right?"
This Gwen did not deny it. At her age, and with another version of herself sitting right in front of her, some things were better said plainly.
"I am annoyed, but you are another me, so what can I even say…"
Spider-Gwen looked troubled. She wanted to call this older Gwen shameless for trying to go after a younger guy, but once the words reached her lips, she could not say them.
Because from another angle, this really was still her.
"I think every Gwen ends up liking Peter. At least that's what I believe."
This Gwen walked to the fridge, took out the iced Americanos she had chilled the night before, poured three glasses, and handed one to each of them.
"But I really didn't expect some woman in this universe to get this attached to him after only a few days. Is he really that charming?"
Spider-Gwen glanced at Peter, who looked awkward no matter whether he sat or stood, and muttered with a bit of resentment.
"Aren't you the same?"
"I'm not the same at all."
"Right. In the end, our personalities still turned out differently."
An awkward silence fell over the room.
"You used the serum?"
Peter noticed the empty vial in the trash can and carefully looked This Gwen over. Aside from looking a little more toned, a little fairer, and a little more radiant, there did not seem to be any obvious changes.
Then again, this was not a mutagen. It did not turn someone into a superhuman freak. It simply enhanced all of their physical functions to the peak of human ability and even pushed past that limit a little. It was still far from true mutation.
It was basically like the super-soldier serum, except cleaner and more complete. It could also slow aging dramatically, or put another way, extend the user's lifespan.
"I did. Right now, I feel like I could punch straight through a wall."
Peter believed her without question. Anything that came from the system was usually top-tier.
"What serum?"
Spider-Gwen looked confused.
"It's a serum that turns an ordinary person into a superhuman. I got it by chance, and since I had no use for it, I let Gwen use it."
Peter shrugged like he was talking about something insignificant, but his eyes still kept flicking back and forth between the two Gwens.
Honestly, he had not really wanted to bring Spider-Gwen here. It was not like he had failed to predict this situation. He just had not been prepared for it.
At times like this, he really had to admit it.
He was indecisive. Maybe even a bit of a jerk.
Before, he had never thought of himself that way. Now he could not really deny it anymore.
"I still can't believe you actually came to see me before leaving. Didn't I say you didn't have to?"
Even as she said that, This Gwen looked genuinely happy.
"I thought about it, and seeing you one more time felt better than not doing it."
This Gwen looked up at him and asked, "When are you all going back?"
"Tonight, probably. Kingpin should activate the collider tonight. When it opens a path to the multiverse, we'll use that chance to go back."
"If we're lucky, we'll return to our own universes. If we're unlucky, we could get pulled somewhere else."
In truth, that was possible.
Traveling between universes required very specific conditions.
If you did nothing special, then most of the time you would naturally return to your own universe. You would not just get thrown into some random one for no reason.
Unless there was some kind of trigger.
For example, if someone from Universe A was supposed to return to Universe A, but they were carrying something tied strongly to another universe, then there was a real chance they could get pulled there instead.
"Then be careful. I can't really help with any of this…"
"You might still be able to. We just found out that this universe's Spider-Man has turned into some kind of living corpse. Even if he's another version of me, I still can't figure out what he wants. So after we leave, you'll need to be careful."
"Like a zombie?"
"More or less, but not exactly the same as the brain-eating kind. He still seems to have some level of thought, though it might just be instinct."
Peter could not say for sure what would happen next, but this clearly was not the Marvel Zombies situation.
If it were, then this whole universe would already be doomed.
Even if he stayed, he probably still would not be able to stop that kind of Spider-Man.
The mutated heroes from that universe were absurdly powerful. Even someone like Ebony Maw could get torn apart instantly. If Thanos showed up on Earth there, he would probably just end up as dinner.
Still, that probably was not what was happening here.
And this universe should still have agencies like S.H.I.E.L.D. around anyway. Based on what Peter remembered from his previous life, the Avengers had already existed here for a long time. They just had not gone through something like Thanos or Kang. As far as he knew, the biggest thing they had dealt with here was Ultron.
"That really is a mess…"
"It's fine. Even after we leave, this world will still have a Spider-Man. His name is Miles. He's basically the second Spider-Man here. If he's around, things probably won't get too bad."
"But you should stay away from him. That kid is way too bold. He nearly tried to steal my girl."
"Hey, what was that for?!"
Peter felt his waist twist sharply. No surprise there. It was Spider-Gwen.
She was glaring at him with a wounded look. He kept bringing that up over and over, even though she had never done anything with Miles.
Why was Peter more jealous than she was?
Though honestly, it did not feel bad.
"Miles… his dad works with me."
This Gwen searched her memory and finally put a face to the name. She remembered a Black teenager around sixteen or seventeen.
That was Miles.
She had only met him once or twice during assignments, otherwise she would never have known who he was.
She had heard he was a good student, smart and well-behaved.
So why did Peter make him sound like some kind of problem?
(End of Chapter)
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