Gwen suddenly felt a sharp sting on her neck and was genuinely startled.
She had already been thinking about spiders, and the specimens inside the exhibition hall had given her goosebumps. With her nerves already on edge, the sudden pain in her neck caused her to scream and nearly jump on the spot.
She frantically slapped at her neck as she hopped around.
"It hurts! There's a bug! Peter! Peter! Peter! Peter?! Quickly, help me see what kind of bug it is! Hurry, hurry!"
"You're talking so fast..."
Peter had not taken her reaction seriously at first, but her frantic voice immediately startled him.
He quickly moved closer, caught her wildly swinging hand, and lifted the collar of her clothes to take a look.
Peter's face reddened slightly when he lifted the girl's collar.
But the moment he saw the motionless spider on Gwen's neck, along with the obvious bite wound beside it, his expression changed.
"Sp-sp-spider!"
"What?"
"It's a spider! Gwen, you've been bitten by a spider!"
"What spider, Peter?"
"Stop joking, Gwen! You've been bitten by a spider! Jarvis, Uncle, come quickly! She was bitten by a spider!"
Peter hurriedly called for Jarvis, who was standing nearby.
Jarvis paused, seemingly confused.
"Gwen was bitten by a spider? That should be impossible. I've been monitoring the surroundings, particularly the area around you."
He continued,
"A few spiders approached you earlier, but I dealt with them without drawing attention. However, Gwen..."
Jarvis looked toward the girl.
"Perhaps my attention toward her was not as thorough as it should have been. If so, this is my responsibility. Allow me to examine her."
Jarvis quickly stepped forward, caught the unsteady Gwen, and examined the bite.
"This is..."
There was now another matter Jarvis could not understand.
"This is a species of spider I have never encountered before. Could it be a new specimen developed by Osborn Technology?"
Jarvis immediately accessed the relevant records.
"According to Osborn Group's records, research involving this species began eight years ago. The project leaders were Norman Osborn and... Richard Parker?"
Jarvis turned toward Peter.
"Peter, this is a special species of spider that your father personally developed. Its venom is extremely potent."
His voice became more serious.
"We need to get Gwen to a hospital immediately, or preferably to Mr. Stark's laboratory. Mr. Lex can use Mr. Stark's equipment to attempt treatment."
Jarvis paused.
"I must also report my failure to Mr. Axel, who issued the original command. I failed to properly protect both of you. That responsibility is mine."
With that, Jarvis picked up Gwen.
Her sudden condition had also alarmed the children and parents nearby.
Jarvis secured Peter in his other arm before taking off through the crowd and flying toward the Stacy couple, who had been leisurely walking through the expo.
Originally, Sheriff Stacy and his wife had been quite relaxed.
After all, Jarvis was supervising the children, and the armored artificial intelligence appeared highly reliable.
They had even intended to take advantage of the children's supervision to enjoy some time together.
Unfortunately, before they could get anywhere, Jarvis arrived.
The moment he landed, Sheriff Stacy's heart tightened when he saw his daughter lying in Jarvis's arms.
"What happened, Jarvis? My daughter, she..."
"I apologize, Mr. Stacy. Your daughter was bitten by an experimental spider from the spider exhibit at the Osborn Expo."
Jarvis immediately explained the situation.
"I have already sent the relevant footage to your phone. Please review it and then contact the Osborn Group to pursue legal assistance and appropriate compensation."
"In addition, on behalf of Stark Group, I have contacted two law firms that maintain friendly business relations with our organization. Their contact information has also been sent to your phone. Please proceed as you deem appropriate."
"As for me, I will immediately take your daughter for treatment. Please try not to worry. We have access to an excellent medical team."
Jarvis continued,
"Given that the spider's venom contains neurotoxins, I have also requested a consultation with Stephen Strange, one of the world's leading neurologists, through Stark Group."
"I sincerely apologize for the trouble this incident has caused you and your family."
Finally, Jarvis looked directly at Stacy.
"I hope you and your wife can trust us."
Without waiting any longer, Jarvis suddenly shot into the air.
The Stacy couple wanted to check on their daughter's condition, but Jarvis had already disappeared into the sky with both children.
"This... this..."
Sheriff Stacy was completely flustered.
What the hell had just happened?
His trembling hands pulled out his phone as he desperately searched through the information Jarvis had sent him.
Beside him, Mrs. Stacy's legs went weak.
She dropped to her knees with a thud before pitching forward, nearly fainting.
Sheriff Stacy quickly caught her with one hand while using the other to open the video on his phone.
---
Meanwhile, at May's house.
Axel held an onion in his hand, carefully carving its layers with precise movements.
Once someone possessed enough control over their body to manipulate every movement with absolute precision, there was practically no technical skill beyond their reach.
Although Axel had never formally studied culinary arts, his physical control was extraordinary.
Carving an onion was nothing.
With enough precision, he could even perform microscopic work far beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.
In his hands, the ordinary onion gradually transformed into a lifelike purple lotus.
After finishing, Axel carried the carved onion over to May, who was preparing beef for Beef Wellington.
"May, how does this look?"
"Let me see."
May turned her head.
Her eyes immediately widened.
"Wait, Axel. I didn't mean this kind of cutting. I just meant for you to chop the onion into pieces!"
She stared at the beautifully carved onion.
"This is too beautiful. I almost don't have the heart to put it into the pan."
After thinking for a moment, she smiled.
"How about we put it in the oven with the beef instead? Hopefully, the heat won't ruin such a beautiful piece."
As she spoke, May carefully took the carved onion from Axel and placed it on the baking tray.
Seeing how much she appreciated his work, Axel grinned and looked around for something else to do.
"Alright, whatever you decide. What else can I help with?"
He glanced toward the kitchen.
"Does your oven need an upgrade? I could add some decorations to it. Maybe carve something impressive into the side."
"Why would you carve decorations into my oven?"
May looked at him helplessly.
"Actually, why do you want to turn every appliance into a work of art? Axel, you're not becoming addicted to carving, are you?"
She pointed toward the vegetables.
"You can't start getting ideas about the rest of the house. We don't have that many large appliances. Look, there's parsley and lettuce over there. If you're really that free, go deal with those."
"Haha, why would I be free? I'm just worried you're too busy."
Axel chuckled and casually took some celery from May's hand.
As he did, his pinky and ring finger lightly brushed against the back of her hand.
The unexpected contact, combined with the celery leaves brushing her fingers, made May's hand tremble slightly.
She gently withdrew her hand, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and smiled.
"Yes, those small celery stalks. Just process them normally."
She glanced at him.
"But you're quite impressive. If you have enough time, you could try carving the celery into a king's scepter."
May paused before asking curiously,
"Speaking of which, someone as powerful as you must have realized at some point that you're far beyond ordinary people. When that happened, did you ever think about becoming a king?"
She smiled teasingly.
"Isn't that what men think about? Did you ever have those thoughts?"
"Heh, it sounds like you understand men pretty well, May."
"I've simply experienced more things, that's all."
She smiled faintly.
"After all, I'm almost forty. I'm getting old, Axel."
"Don't say that. You don't look old to me. I..."
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The sudden vibration from Axel's wrist interrupted him.
May glanced over curiously.
"Someone's calling you?"
She continued rolling the beef as she asked.
Axel nodded.
"Yes. Not many people have my number, so I wonder who needs help."
He looked toward May.
"Give me a moment. I'll take the call."
Axel detached his right hand from his left wrist, causing the metallic watch to separate.
The nanomaterials continuously shifted and transformed until the entire watch became a phone.
May's eyes widened slightly.
The technology was undeniably impressive.
The man standing before her seemed to become more extraordinary with every passing moment.
Yet, despite all his abilities, he sometimes seemed no different from any other man.
A young, attractive man unexpectedly appearing at her home and going out of his way to help her family...
May understood what that could mean.
However, as Axel walked aside to answer the call, May's right hand, which was kneading the beef, unconsciously applied a little more pressure.
Since Ben's death, she had always maintained her boundaries.
There had been plenty of men interested in her, but she had never made any promises or allowed anyone to take advantage of her feelings.
But now...
This young man had become the savior of both her and Peter.
And he really was attractive.
Considering their age difference, if something truly happened between them, perhaps she would be the one benefiting more from it.
Her girlfriends would probably be incredibly envious too.
Thinking about it, May continued preparing the beef while discreetly watching Axel from across the room.
The longer she listened to his conversation, however, the more nervous she became.
Not far away, Axel finished answering the call before casually asking,
"Who the hell is this?"
"This is Jarvis, Mr. Axel. I have encountered a situation."
Jarvis's voice sounded unusually serious.
"Gwen, the girl who was supposed to accompany Peter, was bitten by an experimental spider at the Osborn Expo."
"I sincerely apologize, sir. Although Gwen was not my primary protection target, I ultimately failed to complete the task you assigned to me. I hope you will not blame Mr. Stark for my failure."
"What?"
Although Jarvis's voice remained mechanical, Axel could clearly hear the concern behind it.
He pursed his lips before smiling.
"Tsk, tsk. Old Jarvis, you're becoming more human by the day, you damn robot. Does Stark know about this?"
Axel paused.
"And how did Peter get bitten so quickly? That kid isn't even in middle school yet, is he?"
As he spoke, Axel glanced toward May.
She was gradually becoming more tense.
If the call continued much longer, she would probably come over and start asking questions herself.
On the other end, Jarvis fell silent for a moment.
Why didn't Mr. Axel seem surprised that Peter had been bitten?
More importantly, why did he sound as though he had already expected something like this?
Then Jarvis realized the misunderstanding.
"Wait, Mr. Axel. It was not Peter who was bitten. It was Miss Gwen Stacy."
"Although several spiders approached Peter, I secretly dealt with all of them. However, I was too focused on protecting Peter and accidentally neglected Miss Gwen."
"This was my mistake."
"I am currently taking Miss Gwen to New York Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. Alternatively, I can take her directly to Stark Group's laboratory for observation and treatment."
"What would you like me to do next?"
"What the hell?"
After hearing Jarvis clearly, Axel paused.
Then he burst into laughter.
"You're telling me the person who got bitten wasn't Peter, but Gwen?"
He could barely contain his amusement.
"And there really was a spider trying to bite Peter, but you stopped it?"
Axel laughed harder.
"Oh my God. We actually changed things by trying to help."
"We really went too far this time. The God of the Web actually chose a secondary target instead of the one fate originally intended. Hahaha!"
Once Axel confirmed that Gwen was the one who had been bitten, he could not stop laughing.
He waved one hand behind his back, subtly signaling to May that Peter was fine.
Seeing Axel reassure her without even turning around, May's face reddened slightly.
Apparently, even her attempt to listen in had not escaped him.
Still, knowing that Peter was safe allowed her to relax.
Judging by Axel's reaction, Gwen should not be in serious danger either.
May returned her attention to the Beef Wellington.
The mushrooms she had at home were not quite the right variety for the dish, and she was beginning to worry about how the final steak would taste.
Meanwhile, Axel watched her relax and could not help grinning.
Aunt May, you relaxed too soon.
If Gwen became Spider-Man, then Peter could end up in serious trouble.
After all, just as Spider-Man stories often came with tragic losses involving the people closest to him, Spider-Gwen's story was hardly any kinder to Peter Parker.
With that thought, Axel spoke into the phone.
"Don't worry, Old Jarvis. Gwen will be fine. I know her situation."
"You don't need to take her to the hospital. Take her to Tony's laboratory instead. Isn't Lex there? Let him handle Gwen."
"No complicated treatment is necessary for now. Give her some nutrient solution. It may even strengthen her physique."
"I'll also head to the laboratory and wait for you."
"Everything else can wait until I see you."
Axel hung up the phone.
He turned back toward May and fastened the watch onto his wrist.
May immediately pretended she had not heard anything.
"May, those two kids, Peter and Gwen, ran into a little trouble."
Axel's expression became serious.
"Gwen was bitten by an experimental spider from the Osborn Group."
"That spider isn't especially dangerous, but Gwen was injured, and Peter was frightened as well."
He smiled.
"So, Sister May, your family's financial situation may be about to improve considerably."
"Trust me. I'll make the Osborn Group pay a very large sum of money."
"You keep cooking at home and think about where you'd like to buy your next house, as well as what kind of car and plane you want."
Axel grinned.
"Personally, I recommend Boeing."