Gwen did not sleep all night.
She sat by the window, staring at the white Silk shot from her wrist, from dusk until dawn.
One end of the Silk stuck to the opposite wall, while the other extended from her wrist, shimmering with a faint silver light in the moonlight.
She tried to pull it—the resilience was astonishing, stronger than a steel wire of the same thickness.
But that was not what she was thinking about.
She was thinking: Why could she shoot Silk?
Spider-Man's Silk was never self-produced.
In any version, Peter Parker always used a self-formulated chemical formula, combined with mechanical shooters, to swing through the air.
Even for the cool Spider-Gwen, her Silk also came from web-shooters, not her body.
But what was going on with her?
Gwen raised her wrist and looked closely.
The skin was smooth, with no trace of any mechanical device.
That Silk was shot directly from her body, like some kind of secretion.
She remembered the feeling from last night—when she "thought" about having something shoot out, a certain spot on her wrist suddenly got hot, and then the Silk sprayed out.
That feeling was strange; it didn't feel like controlling an external device, but more like... like controlling her own fingers.
This was a part of her body.
Gwen stared at that Silk, suddenly thinking of a possibility.
What if the drug injected into her didn't just give her spider abilities, but also changed her body structure?
What if the goal of that mastermind was to create a Spider-Man who could self-produce Silk?
In that case, she wouldn't need shooters, wouldn't need to replenish Silk fluid, and could use her abilities anytime, anywhere.
From a combat perspective, this was indeed an evolution.
But from another perspective—
Gwen lowered her head and looked at her wrist.
She didn't know if she still counted as human.
The morning sun finally shone into the window, dispelling the darkness of the night.
Gwen stood up and walked to the mirror.
The girl in the mirror looked no different from yesterday.
Her blonde hair was a bit messy, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, but otherwise, everything was normal.
She raised her hand and tried to shoot the Silk again.
Her wrist heated up, a white line of Silk shot out, and "snap" it stuck to the door frame.
She tried again—another Silk thread stuck to the desk.
She tried to control the force—the heat in her wrist decreased, and the Silk became thinner.
She tried to change the direction—her wrist turned slightly, and the Silk shot accurately in the direction she wanted.
It was like an innate instinct.
Gwen took a deep breath and then retracted all the Silk.
The moment that Silk touched her skin, it disappeared directly, as if it had been absorbed.
She stared blankly at her wrist, not knowing what to think.
Forget it. Don't think about that for now.
There were more important things today.
She washed up quickly, changed her clothes—jeans and a T-shirt again today, she didn't have the courage to challenge those skirts for now—and then rushed downstairs.
"Gwen? Not eating breakfast?" Helen called out from behind.
"Not eating! No time!"
Gwen rushed out of the house and ran towards Peter's house.
She knew that Peter went to school an hour early every day because he had to help Professor Curt Connors organize the laboratory.
Running halfway, she suddenly stopped.
Wait.
If she really had spider abilities, her speed should—
The thought had just started, and her body had already moved.
With one step, the scenery on the street flew backward as if pressed on fast-forward.
The wind whistled in her ears, she almost hit a utility pole, and in an emergency, she jumped to the side—
Jumping onto the wall of the building next to her.
She stood on the vertical wall just like that, like a gecko.
"..."
Gwen looked down at her feet hanging in the air, then looked up at the sky.
There were not many people on the street, no one saw this scene.
She jumped down from the wall, steadied herself, and took a few deep breaths.
Need practice.
But now is not the time.
She slowed down and continued forward at a speed close to that of a normal person running.
Soon she arrived downstairs at Peter's house—an old apartment building with peeling paint on the exterior walls.
She stood downstairs waiting for a while and sure enough saw Peter walking out with his backpack.
"Peter!"
Peter looked up, saw her, and was stunned: "Gwen? Why are you here?"
"Just passing by." Gwen lied casually, "Let's walk together."
Peter nodded, not asking any more questions.
The two walked side by side towards the school.
Gwen secretly sized up Peter beside her.
He was still the same—thin shoulders, a slightly hunched back, and a pair of gentle eyes behind thick glasses.
He looked like an ordinary nerd, completely unrelated to that Spider-Man who would swing between buildings.
But if she had gained spider abilities, then Peter wouldn't have been bitten by the spider.
Then what would he become? Would he still become the Lizard?
"Peter," Gwen opened up, "Are you still helping Professor Connors with experiments lately?"
Peter nodded: "Yeah, I go to the lab to help after school every day. Professor Connors is a good person, he taught me a lot of things."
"What is he researching?"
"Limb regeneration." Peter pushed his glasses, and when talking about his field of expertise, his eyes had light, "He wants to find a way to make severed limbs regrow. He lost an arm himself, so he is particularly persistent about this field. His theory is that some animals like Lizards can regenerate tails, and humans should also be able to..."
As he spoke, he suddenly stopped and looked at Gwen a bit embarrassedly: "Did I talk too much?"
"No." Gwen shook her head, "Keep going."
Peter hesitated: "Actually... the experiment seems to have made progress recently. Professor Connors synthesized a serum that can theoretically activate human regeneration genes. He said he would conduct the first in-vivo experiment in a few days."
Gwen's steps paused.
"In-vivo experiment?"
"Yeah." Peter didn't notice her abnormality and continued saying to himself, "The Professor said he would test it himself because this is his life's work, and he wants to be the first to try it. I'm a bit worried, but the Professor is very firm..."
Gwen's heart sank a little.
Testing it himself.
Connors would inject that serum himself and then turn into the Lizard.
"Peter," she interrupted him, "Can you... stop going to the lab for a while?"
Peter was stunned: "Why?"
"I..." Gwen opened her mouth, not knowing how to explain.
She couldn't just say "I know your Professor will turn into a monster, and you will be in danger," right?
"I just think in-vivo experiments are quite dangerous." She finally only said this one sentence.
Peter looked at her for a while, then smiled: "Thanks for your concern, Gwen. But this is Professor Connors' life's work. As his assistant, I should be there to help. And..."
He lowered his head, his voice softer: "If it can really succeed, it will be a major breakthrough in medical history. I am honored to be a part of it."
Gwen looked at the serious expression on his face and suddenly didn't know what to say.
This was Peter Parker.
Even without gaining superpowers, the heart that wanted to help others in his bones was already there.
The two walked in silence for a distance.
When they were close to the school gate, Gwen suddenly opened up: "Peter, if... I mean if, something goes wrong with Professor Connors' experiment, you must run. Run as far as you can, you know?"
Peter looked at her confusedly: "Gwen, why are you today—"
"Promise me."
Her tone was too serious, Peter was stunned for a moment, then nodded slowly: "Okay. I promise you."
Gwen breathed a sigh of relief.
Although this promise might not be useful, at least she had tried.
Gwen couldn't listen to the morning classes at all.
Her mind was full of Connors' experiment, and that black shadow that flashed across the ceiling last night.
Who was that black shadow?
Was it the person who injected her with the drug? Was it Silk? Or was it something else?
During lunch break, Mary Jane came to find her to practice drums again.
Gwen wanted to refuse, but seeing Mary Jane's expectant eyes, she still followed.
In the music classroom, Glory and Betty had already arrived.
Several people practiced the new song a few times, Gwen's drum beats were as accurate as ever, but Mary Jane still saw something wrong.
"Gwen, you are absent-minded today." She put down her guitar and sat next to Gwen, "What happened?"
Gwen shook her head: "Nothing."
"Liar." Mary Jane stared at her eyes, "How many years have we known each other? Can't I tell what expression you have?"
Gwen was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked: "Mary Jane, do you believe there are... superpowers in this World?"
Mary Jane blinked: "Superpowers? Like the ones in comics?"
"Yeah."
"Don't know." Mary Jane thought seriously, "I think there should be. The World is so big, anything strange can happen. What's wrong? Did you encounter something?"
Gwen looked at her sincere eyes, and the words that reached her mouth were swallowed back.
"Nothing, just asking casually."
Mary Jane looked at her suspiciously, but didn't continue to ask.
She stood up and clapped her hands: "Alright, since you don't want to say it, let's continue practicing drums! Knock out all those annoying things!"
Gwen smiled and picked up the drumsticks.
The drum sound started.
This time, she didn't suppress herself.
She struck with all her might, pouring all her anxiety, confusion, and fear into every drum beat.
The drum sound swept through the entire music classroom like a storm, making the windows buzz.
When the song ended, Gwen was panting, her palms numb.
Mary Jane looked at her blankly, and it took a long time for her to say a sentence: "Gwen, you were just now... too fierce."
Betty and Glory also came over, with an incredible look.
"Did you get some kind of stimulation?" Betty asked.
"No." Gwen put down the drumsticks, "Just... suddenly wanted to vent."
She lowered her head and looked at her hands.
While playing the drums just now, she clearly felt that her reaction speed and force control were more than a level stronger than before.
If she wanted, she could even play twice as many drum beats as others in one beat.
Is this the change brought about by spider abilities?
After school in the afternoon, Gwen originally wanted to follow Peter to the lab, but Peter said Professor Connors had something to do today, and the lab was not open.
She had to go home first.
At dinner, George mentioned the Japanese Gang again.
"Two more bodies were found today." He said with a heavy face, "The way they died was very strange, as if they were sucked dry by something."
Helen covered her mouth: "Oh my god..."
"There are still very few clues, only knowing that they call themselves the 'Family', and seem to be looking for something." George looked at Gwen, "Still the same thing, go home early, don't go to remote places."
Gwen nodded, but her heart was thinking about other things.
Sucked dry by something?
That didn't sound like a normal gang murder method.
Could it be that besides her, there were other "things" active?
The night was deep.
Gwen lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
She must figure out today who that black shadow was last night.
Time passed minute by minute.
Occasionally there was the sound of cars passing by downstairs, and dogs barking in the distance.
Gwen maintained even breathing, pretending to be asleep.
Two o'clock in the morning.
A very slight sound came from the ceiling.
If it weren't for Gwen's current hearing being far beyond normal, she would never have been able to hear it.
That sound was too light, so light that it was like a mouse crawling over, but Gwen knew it wasn't.
She continued to close her eyes, motionless.
That sound stopped.
Then, something hung upside down and appeared above her field of vision.
Black bodysuit, red mask, white eye mask staring at her.
Exactly the same as last night.
Gwen opened her eyes abruptly, and stared at those white eye masks.
"You can really see me." That figure opened up, it was a female voice, with a trace of surprise, "I felt you saw me last night."
Gwen slowly sat up, staring at the uninvited guest on the ceiling: "Who are you?"
"You can call me... Silk." That figure flipped lightly, fell from the ceiling, and stood firmly on the ground.
She was taller than Gwen, the black bodysuit outlined a slender figure.
Silk.
That Silk who did all kinds of evil in the comics.
Gwen's heartbeat accelerated, but her face remained calm: "Was it you last night? Was it you who injected me with the drug?"
"Smart." Silk took off her mask, revealing a young face.
Black long hair, amber eyes, looked about the same age as Gwen, but in her eyes, there was a calmness that didn't match her age.
"Why do this?" Gwen asked.
"Because I need a companion." Silk walked to the window, the moonlight shining on her face, "I have had this ability for three years. In three years, I have been looking for people like me. But guess what? None. In all of New York, I am the only one."
She turned her head and looked at Gwen: "So I decided to create one myself."
"So I am a test subject."
"The word test subject is too ugly." Silk smiled, "You are my first companion. The first successful work."
Gwen stared at her: "Successful work? What about the failed ones?"
Silk's smile faded a bit, and she didn't answer.
Gwen's heart sank a bit.
"What are you looking for me for?" She asked, "Want me to join you?"
"Smart." Silk nodded, "You have this ability, you are the same as me. We can do many things together."
"Like?"
"Like letting those ordinary people know that this World is not just theirs." Silk's eyes became fanatical, "We are stronger, faster, and more powerful than them. We should be the masters of this city, not monsters hiding in the shadows."
Gwen was silent for a few seconds, then said: "I refuse."
Silk's smile froze.
"What did you say?"
"I said I refuse." Gwen stood up, looking directly into her eyes, "I don't want to dominate anyone, and I don't want anyone to dominate me. I am me, not some monster."
Silk stared at her for a long time, then smiled. But there was no temperature in that smile.
"You will change your mind." She said, "Because those people will not accept you. When you find that you are different from them, they will fear you, hate you, and want to lock you up. By then, you will know who the real companion is."
She put on her mask again and turned to leave.
"Wait." Gwen called her, "You haven't told me yet how those two people died."
Silk stopped and looked back at her: "Which two people?"
"The Japanese Gang members. The two who were sucked dry."
Silk was silent for a few seconds, then said: "It wasn't me. I don't need to be so troublesome to kill people."
After finishing, she leaped up and disappeared into the ceiling.
Gwen stood by the window, looking at the night outside. Silk's words echoed in her mind.
It wasn't me.
Then who could it be?
And Connors' experiment—tomorrow, it's tomorrow, Peter said Connors was going to conduct the in-vivo experiment tomorrow.
She had no time left.
Gwen clenched her fists, feeling that power flowing in her blood.
Tomorrow, she was going to stop Connors.
No matter what the cost.