Only Peter and Maria Hill remained in the vast top-floor office. The atmosphere turned slightly subtle.
"Don't be nervous, Agent Hill."
Peter placed his hand on Hill's shoulder. As the Horse Talisman activated, a gentle white light instantly enveloped her body.
Hill had been stiff at first, her instincts as an elite agent flaring up at the touch of a stranger. But as the healing power of the talisman diffused through her, a sensation of repair at the cellular level caused her body to relax uncontrollably.
The moment it happened, Hill lowered her head in sheer embarrassment. Making such a sound in front of a young, new boss was beyond awkward.
However, Peter didn't take advantage of the moment; as soon as the healing was complete, he withdrew his hand with the stoic professionalism of a true gentleman.
This "man of honor" act caused Hill to look at him with a new level of respect.
"The healing is done, Agent Hill. Now, I need your help with a small matter."
Peter produced Nick Fury's eye, stating his intent to access the core classified database. Hill looked at the eye, then at Peter's half-smile, and felt a wave of hesitation.
While Peter's request was technically within his rights as Director, it was a "hot potato" for her. If Fury ever made a comeback and found out she had helped Peter crack his vault... Fury's vengeful nature was legendary.
But after a brief pause, considering the debt of healing she now owed Peter, she chose to be "professional."
"Director, please follow me."
What Hill didn't know was that her decision had quietly averted a crisis. With his Byakugan, Peter could have found the vault easily; he was simply testing her loyalty to Nick Fury. Seeing that she wasn't brainwashed into a fanatic, he felt satisfied.
Using the eye, Peter opened the secret archives and immediately changed all authentication protocols to his own iris information.
After browsing the files, he extracted two specific dossiers: one regarding Howard Stark's true legacy and another concerning the Winter Soldier.
Peter didn't plan to wait until Tony was at death's door to give him the "new element" clues like in the original timeline.
He also didn't want Tony and Steve to fall into a murderous feud over past tragedies. He intended to clear the air from the start.
Beyond the files, he retrieved one more item from the classified storage: Code 084, a silver metallic pillar.
Commonly known as the Obelisk.
This held the Terrigen Crystals—the key to turning Skye into Quake. After becoming Director, he had decided to bring Skye into S.H.I.E.L.D. It was a waste to keep a talent like her as a mere cybersecurity lead at Parker Tech.
He planned to make Hill her mentor; Hill's competence would sharpen Skye, and the shared secret would tie Hill even closer to his own faction.
After returning to New York and leaving Hill to handle the branch's administrative transition, Peter finally headed back to Queens. Since it was 3:00 AM, he didn't go home immediately; instead, he slipped through Gwen's bedroom window.
As expected, Gwen was tossing and turning, her mind full of questions. The moment Peter climbed in, she sat up.
"Peter! You're finally back! You have no idea how much I— Mmh!"
Peter cut her off with a kiss, only pulling away a minute later, breathless. "Wait, I'll tell you everything... but first, look at the gift I have for you."
He activated the Omnitrix on his wrist. Symbiote Mode: 100% Mimicry—Activate!
With a snap, Peter transformed into a humanoid symbiote. The strange form and sheer power caused Gwen's Spider-Sense to scream a warning.
"Is that... like the monster from tonight? Where did you get it?" she asked, eyes wide.
"This is why I was late getting back to Brooklyn. I was securing this."
As he spoke, Peter manipulated his symbiote form to undergo asexual reproduction. With a soft squelch, a fragment of the symbiote detached from his body. Peter felt a sudden wave of weakness, but the Horse Talisman instantly flushed it away.
Gwen watched the fragment crawl into her palm and sink into her skin.
"Where did it go?"
Before she could panic, a strange power surged within her. It felt as if her strength had multiplied several times over. She looked down to see a black-and-white symbiote suit forming over her skin.
"This feeling... Mmh—"
Before Gwen could fully analyze the power, her gaze locked onto Peter. The love she already felt for him, combined with the symbiote's influence, transformed into a torrent of intense pheromones.
Symbiotes amplify the host's desires. Furthermore, the fragment Gwen now held was a direct piece of Peter.
A biological "imprinting effect" took hold, making her feel an overwhelming instinct that "you and I are one."
In an instant, her father's warnings and her own self-imposed "wait until 20" rule were tossed out the window.
Her mind was filled with nothing but Peter. She pounced on him with the hunger of a predator, breathing in his scent, her pupils dilating as she sought to bridge the gap between them.
Peter's mind went blank. He hadn't expected the split to have this kind of side effect.
Realizing he was being pinned to the floor by an increasingly aggressive Gwen, Peter let out a wry chuckle. He immediately canceled the Symbiote Mimicry, returning to human form.
Some things can happen now, he thought, but they definitely shouldn't start while we're both looking like alien monsters. That's just confusing for the family tree!
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