Su Yi departed Gwen's room before dawn, teleporting home to avoid any awkward encounters with Captain Stacy. After a quick breakfast, he was back at school, feeling incredibly relaxed despite the eventful weekend. He had successfully secured his relationships and initiated Gwen's destiny as Ghost-Spider.
Settling into his seat, he remembered the special item he'd yet to use. "Oh, right, I still have that Mission Card."
He activated it mentally: "Use Mission Card."
[Ding! Mission Card Used!]
[Long-term Quest Obtained: Guide Peter Parker to become Spider-Man!]
Quest Duration: 1 year.
Quest Reward: Determined by quest completion speed and quality.
Failure Penalty: None.
A long-term quest to guide Peter Parker... that won't be easy. Su Yi knew the critical catalyst in the original timeline was the tragic death of Uncle Ben, which imprinted the mantra: "With great power comes great responsibility."
There is no Uncle Ben in this world, Su Yi mused, referencing the altered universe details. It seems Aunt May is the likely catalyst. It certainly can't be me, can it? He needed to figure out how to push Peter onto the path of heroism without directly causing tragedy.
Just as Su Yi was contemplating his complex role as Peter's inadvertent mentor, Peter Parker himself walked into the classroom, wearing a low-slung hooded jacket and looking visibly tired and distracted.
"Has Peter not yet mastered his superpowers?" Su Yi wondered internally. Gwen had a handle on hers in about half an hour with my guidance. Peter has had a full day to adapt. He shouldn't still be so off-balance.
Peter, in fact, was subtly struggling. He had spent most of his Sunday at Dr. Connors's lab, agreeing to become his assistant, pushing the weird aches and heightened senses to the background. His negative feelings toward Su Yi over Mary Jane kept him reserved and sullen.
"Peter, are you alright?" Su Yi asked, feigning concern.
"Yeah, Su, I'm fine," Peter replied curtly. "What's wrong?"
"You just seem distracted."
"Nothing, I'm just thinking."
Su Yi decided to back off. I have a year. The hostility over Mary Jane makes direct intervention difficult. I just need to ensure he doesn't go completely dark.
As Su Yi was contemplating the social dynamics, Gwen entered the classroom.
The moment she crossed the threshold, Peter's Spider-Sense flared violently. He instinctively recoiled, his hand flying to his head, sensing a powerful, familiar presence.
Gwen, also sensing the presence, remained perfectly calm. She had known about Peter's impending powers and was already mastering her own.
They sensed each other, just as I expected, Su Yi noted.
Peter was confused, looking straight at Gwen. Why do I get this feeling around Gwen? Could she be... like me? He knew he had to find an opportunity to talk to her.
Gwen walked directly to Su Yi. "Su, good morning," she said sweetly.
"You're a bit later than usual," Su Yi observed.
Gwen gave him a knowing look. "Perhaps it's because I had a very good dream and didn't want to wake up too early."
The two exchanged a silent, intimate message before heading to their seats.
Gwen, Mary Jane, and Betty—now enhanced by the Water of Life—looked positively radiant, instantly attracting attention.
"Oh, Betty, you look even prettier today!" a classmate exclaimed.
"Perhaps my mother's condition has improved, and I'm just in a better mood," Betty replied, sticking to the prepared cover story.
During the break, Peter seized his opportunity, finding Gwen alone.
"Gwen, I have something I need to talk to you about," Peter said, his voice hesitant. "Can we step outside?"
They walked to the deserted outdoor field.
Peter got straight to the point. "Gwen, did you... gain superpowers?"
Gwen chose to be frank. "Are you talking about abilities similar to a spider? I think so. It happened when I was at Osborn Tower and was bitten by a spider."
Peter's initial shock was replaced by confirmation. "Did you struggle to control them? They seemed incredibly difficult."
"It was difficult at first," Gwen admitted. "But with Su Yi's help, I mastered them in about half an hour."
"Su Yi?" Peter repeated, surprised.
"Yes. He told me to calm down and just keep trying slowly." Gwen didn't elaborate on Su Yi's identity or abilities.
With the core mystery solved, Peter pressed on to the source of his bitterness.
"There's one more thing," Peter said, looking down. "About you and Su Yi... and Mary Jane."
Gwen paused, meeting his gaze with regretful honesty. "Mary Jane and I both like him. We are both going to be his girlfriends."
The confirmation hit Peter like a physical blow. He finally knew his chances were zero. He was not only alone in his new struggle with superpowers but isolated from the girl he loved and the girl he admired, both of whom were now deeply bonded to the man he distrusted.
Despite his personal turmoil, Peter found a focus in his new assistant role. He began spending every evening after school at Dr. Connors's lab, tirelessly working on the gene therapy research. He was earning money to help Aunt May and building a career foundation, which helped mitigate his sense of loss.
Their research, spurred by Peter's father's notes, progressed quickly. Norman Osborn's pressure was intense, forcing both Connors and Peter to work frequent, long hours. Aunt May didn't object, seeing the benefit to Peter's future.
However, the rapid work schedule led to a critical lapse that night.
Just before arriving at the lab, Peter received a message from Aunt May:
Aunt May: Come home as early as possible tonight. When you come back, remember to buy some medicine for me. I'm feeling a bit unwell.
Peter quickly texted back: I know.
But once he was submerged in the intense work of the lab, preparing for the final simulation, he forgot everything else.
Working alongside Dr. Connors, they finally achieved a breakthrough.
"We did it, Peter!" Connors exclaimed. "The formula is stable! Now, we synthesize the antidote and test it on the lab mice."
Peter, focused on the meticulous task of injecting the serum into a test mouse, felt a professional high. Connors, despite his outward calm, was internally bursting with anticipation; this antidote was the key to regenerating his lost arm.
"It will take some time to take effect," Connors instructed, trying to sound measured. "We'll observe the results tomorrow."
Peter started to pack up, and the message from Aunt May suddenly flashed in his mind.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Connors, I completely forgot! I promised Aunt May I'd be home early, and I need to stop for her medicine."
"Go on, Peter. You've earned the rest," Connors dismissed him, already turning back to his experimental data.
Peter rushed out of the lab, filled with impatient guilt, hoping desperately that he was not too late.
The pieces are aligned: Peter is racing home, distracted by guilt, and the catalyst for his full transformation into Spider-Man—the event that will force him to embrace his responsibility—is imminent.