The rain was sparse and the wind fierce last night, yet a deep sleep did not wash away the lingering effects of the wine.
In short, when Gwen woke up the next morning, she found herself lying in Peter's arms, her skin still feeling a lingering warmth.
Her mind went blank for a moment before the memories of last night came rushing back.
She had received the symbiote suit—similar to Radiation—from Peter, and then... an overwhelming impulse had surged within her.
Thinking back to how wild she had been—clinging to Peter like an octopus even when she was exhausted—Gwen felt her face burn as if it were on fire.
Moving gently, she did a quick internal check and found no discomfort. It made sense; in her hazy memory, Peter had used his healing power to restore her three or four times...
Though the passion of the night had caught her off guard, as she looked at Peter's soft sleeping face, she felt no regret or blame.
Instead, her heart was overflowing with satisfaction and happiness. She had chosen Peter years ago. Later, as she gained her spider powers and Peter became the Arbiter, saving her time and again, she found herself unable to imagine a life without him.
Gwen had a strong feeling that if Peter ever left her, her world would fall into utter chaos.
Her gaze drifted back to his face. What started as quiet joy over their deepened relationship soon turned into pure admiration.
"You woke up quite early?"
Just as Gwen's eyes were beginning to glaze over while staring at his chest, Peter's voice rang out right by her ear.
Gwen jumped like a startled cat, her head bumping against the nightstand with a soft thud. She let out a cute whimper of pain. "Peter! When... when did you wake up?"
"Right around the time you turned over. My hearing is pretty sharp..."
Peter instinctively pulled her back into his embrace. His hand, as if guided by habit, settled gently at her waist. Feeling the warmth of his touch, Gwen shifted slightly, a little flustered as she bumped lightly into him.
"What happened to the girl who wouldn't stop talking last night… and now suddenly you're all shy?" Seeing Gwen's startled expression, Peter chuckled and held her a bit closer.
Gwen's breathing hitched for a moment before she pushed lightly against him. "Don't… Grandma Pauline might call me for breakfast any second."
At the mention of Grandma Pauline, Peter finally loosened his hold. Getting caught would definitely be awkward. Still, he lingered for a second before leaning in slightly.
"So… should we meet tonight again?"
"Tonight…" Gwen's cheeks turned a soft red. She avoided his gaze and gave his chest a small shove. "We'll talk about it later."
Peter grinned, clearly pleased. He gave her a quick, playful smile before slipping out the window and heading home.
After returning, Peter acted as if nothing had happened and sat down for breakfast with Uncle Ben and Aunt May. As his excitement cooled, he began to strategize.
With the battle between Hulk and Abomination over, the "normal" timeline suggested Tony would soon face palladium poisoning.
Then Thor's hammer would fall, followed by the Battle of New York. Adding his sudden "coup" as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he had certainly stirred the Hydra nest.
New York was about to get very loud.
Though he had the Mercy's Descent skill, it had a cooldown. He was only one man and couldn't be everywhere. Making sure Ben, May, and George were "super" had to be a priority. Felicia and Harry couldn't be left behind either.
To protect his inner circle, Peter decided on a three-pronged approach:
Distribute symbiote fragments as external armor.
Help Dr. Connors finish the "Perfect Lizard Serum" to boost their baseline physiology.
Collect the Iron Man suit Tony promised. It wouldn't boost Peter's combat power, but it could serve as a host for Wheel of Fortune, acting as an autonomous iron butler and rescue unit.
After breakfast, he headed to Parker Tech.
The company was buzzing. Following the release of the "Unicorn Gen 1," the lobby was packed with partners and job seekers. Peter bypassed them and went straight to Dr. Connors' lab.
"Doctor, how is the Lizard Serum coming along?"
Connors was surprised by the visit. "The 10% concentration for medical limb regeneration is a success. But beyond that, the side effects worsen.
At 30%, the subjects need constant sedatives to prevent rage. At 50% or higher, lizard traits become permanent. It seems to be a biological wall we can't scale."
Connors sounded frustrated. He had started this to fix his arm, but now that he could, he wanted to give humanity "super strength."
As Connors sighed, Peter quietly activated the Omnitrix and entered the 100% Lizard form—the balanced, non-feral version.
"Doctor, your ideas are dangerous," Peter said, his voice a low hiss. "But I suspect my blood might be the key your research is missing."
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 200 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.