Gwen Stacy stirred from her deep, unnaturally heavy sleep. She wasn't fully conscious, yet she perceived the world around her with a clarity that was overwhelming. She could sense the rhythm of the pool water splashing, the texture of the parasol fabric above her, and the minute vibrations of leaves rustling on trees hundreds of feet away. It was a chaotic symphony of sensation.
She woke abruptly, sitting up straight, her heart hammering. Before her, Su Yi, Mary Jane, and Betty were playfully engaged in water volleyball. But Gwen's attention was entirely inward; she felt a monumental, strange transformation raging through her nervous system.
Su Yi, watching her intently with his newly Enhanced Hearing, recognized the signs—the gene fusion was complete, and Gwen was struggling to process the sudden influx of sensory data.
"Gwen, don't be nervous, and don't be afraid," Su Yi said, wading out of the pool and approaching her lounge chair.
Gwen stared at him, feeling his words resonate with a strange, impossible clarity. "Su, how did you know I was afraid?"
"Earlier, at Osborn Tower, you were bitten by a mutated spider," Su Yi explained softly, sitting beside her. "You've gained superpowers similar to a spider's."
"What?" Gwen gasped, scrambling off the chair.
"Your strength, speed, reaction time, and perception will far exceed ordinary people's," Su Yi continued, keeping his voice steady. "And you also now possess the ability to adhere to objects—you can climb walls."
Gwen shook her head in disbelief. "Su, this is insane. Are you joking with me?"
"Of course not," Su Yi smiled, pointing toward the nearest wall of the villa. "Try it. Focus on wanting to stick to the surface."
Under Su Yi's gentle, calm guidance, Gwen nervously extended her hand to the brick wall. Focus. Adhere. The moment her palm touched the brick, she felt a strange, magnetic friction. She lifted her feet and found herself effortlessly clinging to the vertical surface.
"Oh, my God! I'm... I'm really sticking!" she exclaimed. She pulled her hand away too quickly, and a small chunk of brick came loose. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break the wall!"
"It's fine, I'll have it fixed," Su Yi reassured her. "Now, how do you release the grip? You're not going to be stuck there forever."
Gwen struggled, laughing nervously. "I don't know how to let go!"
"Relax. Slowly feel the connection, try to release the adhesive force. It should be intuitive."
It took Gwen nearly forty-five minutes of intense concentration to gain even rudimentary control over her new abilities, which included superhuman strength and reflexes she kept accidentally over-shooting.
The immense power in her small frame was thrilling, but also terrifying. "Su, am I going to turn into an actual spider? If I have children someday, will they be… spider-babies?"
Su Yi wrapped her in a firm hug. "I promise you, that absolutely will not happen. You are perfectly human, just enhanced."
Gwen finally sagged in relief. "Okay. Okay, I accept it."
She then pulled back, her eyes sharp with realization. "Su, how do you know all this? And... was being bitten by that spider related to you?"
Su Yi looked her directly in the eye, deciding to reveal a portion of the truth. "Yes, it was related to me. I orchestrated it. That spider bit Peter, who will become the standard Spider-Man." He paused. "But in a certain parallel universe, you were destined to be the hero. You are destined for this, Gwen."
Gwen's eyes went wide. "Me? A hero?"
The concept clicked instantly; her strong sense of justice, inherited from her father, resonated with the idea. She remembered Su Yi was the Spider-Bully. "Then, can I fight bad guys with you?"
"Of course, Ghost-Spider!"
"Ghost-Spider? Yes! I love that name!" Gwen lightly pressed a grateful kiss to his cheek.
"That's not enough of a reward," Su Yi teased. "I prepared a special gift for my Ghost-Spider."
He retrieved a large piece of paper—a detailed sketch he had drawn. "Look. How do you like this suit?"
Gwen took the drawing—the signature white, black, and pink suit of Spider-Gwen—and fell instantly in love. "I love it, Su! Did you already have it made?"
Su Yi took out the Symbiote Suit bracelet he'd just received from the System. "This is better than anything factory-made. Put this on."
"What is it?"
"It's a specialized Symbiote. It's unconscious—you can control it with your mind, like I control mine." He demonstrated by letting his own Symbiote Suit momentarily crawl up his arm and change texture. "Your suit and my suit are the same nature. It's awesome."
Gwen put on the bracelet. She instantly felt a sharp, brief prick—the Symbiote absorbed a tiny blood sample to bond with her DNA. "It pricked me!"
"It absorbed your blood to bond," Su Yi explained. "Now, try to mentally will it into the suit you just saw."
Gwen focused, and the Symbiote flowed over her body, seamlessly forming the exact pattern of the Ghost-Spider suit from the drawing.
Su Yi pulled out his phone and took a quick picture, showing her the result. Gwen gasped, looking at her reflection in the screen. "It's absolutely perfect!"
She tested the suit, finding it fluid and protective, actually amplifying her new physical abilities.
"From now on, we fight together, Ghost-Spider," Su Yi declared.
Gwen threw herself into his arms. "Su, I don't know what to say!"
Mary Jane and Betty, who had been watching the spectacle from the pool, swam over. "You should start by thanking him for the Water of Life," Mary Jane reminded her. "The stuff that extends life and keeps you young. You look even more beautiful than you did an hour ago."
Gwen eagerly checked her reflection again. "I really do! Su, what was that amazing stuff?"
"They are gifts I obtain from other Universes," Su Yi admitted. "They are meant for the people I care about." Gwen looked at Betty and Mary Jane, knowing their involvement in his life was now deeper than she initially believed. But the surge of gratitude and love eclipsed any lingering uncertainty.
"Su, I want to join them now," Gwen decided, stripping off the Symbiote suit, which instantly retracted back into the bracelet on her wrist. "Let's play volleyball!"
The four of them plunged back into the pool, laughter and splashing water continuing until dusk.
"It's getting late," Su Yi announced as the sun began to set. "I'll prepare dinner for you all, and then drive you home." He added, looking at Betty, "And Betty, I'll go with you to the hospital afterward. We'll handle the discharge for your mother and treat her there."
"Thank you, Su," Betty whispered, her eyes shining with emotion.
After a quick but hearty dinner, Su Yi dropped off Mary Jane and Gwen. Then, he drove Betty to the hospital.
"Betty," Su Yi said, taking her hand. "Do you trust me?"
"I do," she replied simply.
"Then let's come tomorrow to handle the discharge procedures and bring her home. I will use the Water of Life to treat her, and I can definitely cure her."
"Thank you, Su!"
Su Yi gently pinched her cheek. "You've already thanked me enough. Besides, you're my girlfriend now, so stop saying thank you."
Betty's face flushed pink. "I... I still don't feel like it's enough."
Su Yi knew what she meant. "There's still a lot of time tonight, why don't we go back to my place?"
"Yes," she agreed, her voice barely a whisper.
After returning home, Su Yi finally had a moment alone to reflect on his achievements.
"System, let's tally the gains." Su Yi smiled, savoring the success. He had effectively secured Gwen, Mary Jane, and Betty in one decisive weekend.
"Mary Jane is the true anchor of the original Spider-Man, the most critical partner. She should yield a substantial reward."