Despite having resolved to embark on this "Mad Plan" alongside Peter for the sake of his family, George Stacy's core sense of justice as an old police captain remained steadfast.
"Since I'm in the same trench as you now, I naturally have no right to demand that you and Gwen just be 'ordinary' people," George said, his voice gravelly.
"So... protect Gwen! Furthermore, I will use my connections to grant Gwen official 'masked vigilante' status, ensuring she won't be harassed by the police department in the future."
He paused, pointing a finger at Peter. "But the premise is that you two don't make things too difficult for me.
As for you, Peter... I'll be watching. If I find that your future actions contradict the promises you made today, our cooperation ends immediately! I, George Stacy, will never associate with a demon who endangers national security!"
Peter simply smiled and extended his hand. "I look forward to a fruitful partnership, future Mayor Stacy. If there's anything you need handled... conveniently... You know where to find me."
Later that evening, on the rooftop of the Stacy house.
Gwen leaned into Peter's arms, whispering, "I still can't believe it. Dad actually agreed to let me keep being Ghost-Spider so easily."
It felt easy to you because you didn't see the 'stratospheric' maneuvers I performed behind the scenes, Peter thought, but outwardly he just looked at her with feigned tenderness.
"I told you—once he realized I could protect you better than anyone could ever, he'd let go."
Hearing Peter's sweet words murmured in her ear, Gwen felt her heart race. Since Dad and Grandma have officially accepted our relationship... maybe we can... take a step further?
Gwen's voice turned slightly dry. "Peter... I have an idea."
Peter blinked. "What kind of idea?"
"Close your eyes first. Give me a second."
Once she was sure his eyes were shut, Gwen nimbly climbed atop the family water tower. She fired a strand of webbing and slowly lowered herself upside down, her face level with his. She cupped Peter's face with both hands and...
It was, objectively, a very novel experience. As Peter realized what Gwen was doing, his mind began to wander to certain "acrobatic" scenes from movies. Upside-down? Very classic...
Creak—
Grandma Pauline, intending to call the kids down for hot cocoa, pushed open the balcony door just in time to see this "stimulating" scene.
The old lady froze for a second, glanced at her granddaughter's proactive display, and silently turned around to leave.
Young people really know how to play... well, she certainly takes after me in her prime.
Though Pauline didn't want to disturb their world, Peter and Gwen's senses were far too sharp. The interruption left Gwen blushing all the way to the tips of her ears.
No matter what Peter said, she stubbornly refused to "try again."
Just then, Peter's phone rang. It was Tony Stark—fresh off his "I am Iron Man" bombshell.
"Hey, Tony. Why the late call?" Peter asked, curious.
To his surprise, the voice on the other end wasn't Tony's, but a deep, authoritative voice with a distinct military bearing.
"Mr. Arbiter, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, the liaison between the military and Stark Industries.
I've been authorized to relay some urgent intelligence regarding the 'Hulk'."
Realizing this was Tony's best friend, Rhodey, and that he was reporting on the Green Goliath, Peter showed a bit more patience. "Go ahead."
"A few hours ago, General Ross led a containment team to Culver University to apprehend the Hulk. The result... was a total catastrophe.
We lost an attack helicopter, several armored vehicles, and our lead Special Forces operative suffered multiple compound fractures.
The Hulk has taken General Ross's daughter, Betty, and fled into the wilderness. We've lost their trail."
Peter narrowed his eyes. He knew the military was likely "selling misery" to gain his sympathy and test his willingness to cooperate, but the news was still valuable. It confirmed the timeline.
The Battle of Culver University... Emil Blonsky getting thrashed and then injected with the diluted Super Soldier Serum... Banner and Betty on the run...
If the movie timeline held, the Hulk and Betty would hide out for a while, contact "Mr. Blue" (Samuel Sterns), and eventually head to New York. This process could take anywhere from two weeks to a month.
If that's the case, Peter thought, the Hulk's arrival in NYC might collide directly with the Life Foundation's rocket landing.
As expected, Rhodey made a request: "We were hoping you could come with us to treat the injured operative. He's one of our finest."
He was talking about the future Abomination, Emil Blonsky.
Peter didn't even have to think about it. "No."
If he healed Blonsky now, the man wouldn't be desperate enough to take the experimental serum.
Without that serum, he wouldn't survive the infusion of Hulk blood to become the Abomination.
If the Abomination didn't exist, how could Peter enjoy a high-level battle? How could he harvest those sweet sacrifice points?
Peter stated clearly that he was only helping with the Hulk as a favor to Tony. He had no obligation to fix the military's broken soldiers—especially when he didn't trust them.
Rhodey, a man of integrity, didn't push. He simply stated they would contact Peter once they had a firm location on the Hulk.
After hanging up, Peter stood on the balcony, looking out over the city. To prevent the "Hulk Hunt" and the "Symbiote Harvest" from becoming a chaotic mess, he needed to start making preparations.
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