At the pinnacle of the Empire State Building, the soft night wind brushed past the two figures huddled together. Gwen leaned against Peter's shoulder, turning the warm, smooth Emerald Dragon Scale over in her fingers.
"So, where did this thing actually come from?" she asked, tilting her head. Her deep blue eyes were brimming with curiosity.
"And that ability you have to restore objects... that's not something you can pull off with just physics or biology."
"Of course it isn't a scientific invention. It's magic!"
Peter pressed his finger to the center of Gwen's forehead, channeling the Horse Talisman to instantly wash away the exhaustion from her battle with the two villains. To mask the existence of a "System," Peter had decided to commit fully to his "Magical Boy" persona.
"Magic?" Gwen's eyes widened. If she weren't currently feeling the literal sensation of magic mending her muscles, she would have suspected Peter was just pulling her leg again.
"Exactly," Peter bullshitted with a straight face. "The world is full of different types of magic, but mine is unique. It was granted to me by an Ancient Dragon, and this scale was one of the gifts he bestowed upon me..."
For the next few minutes, Peter spun a tale of "The Dragon and the Chosen Child." Gwen, faced with the undeniable reality of his powers, accepted the explanation.
"You know, when I first got this scale, you were the first person I thought of." Peter reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Gwen's ear. His gentle touch made the girl's heart skip a beat.
She had felt a tiny twinge of jealousy earlier when she saw the scale in Felicia's hands, but hearing Peter say this made those feelings evaporate instantly.
"Don't even start. I couldn't handle that fighting style. I'd much rather deal with things using webs and my fists than standing in the back singing to control water."
"I knew you'd say that." Peter chuckled. "After all, my little Spider is a bit of a chatterbox. If she had to sing non-stop during a fight, she'd probably go crazy."
"I would not~!" Gwen protested, her face flushing, though she secretly visualized the scenario. Okay, yeah, I'd definitely lose it.
"Thinking about it, the scale really is perfect for Felicia. Her voice is incredible, and she actually needs a way to protect herself." Gwen smiled.
"The three of us being superheroes together... It's actually a pretty fun thought. Oh, wait—she doesn't have a codename yet!"
Peter already had the perfect name in mind, but appearing too eager would be a dead giveaway. He feigned a look of sudden realization. "You're right! If Felicia is going to join us, she definitely needs a proper handle."
Seeing that Peter hadn't already picked a name for Felicia—unlike her, whom he'd named on her very first day—Gwen felt a wave of silent satisfaction.
"What about..." Gwen pondered. "Queen of the Sea? No, DC might sue us for that. Siren? Tidecaller? Water Queen?"
Noticing Peter's skeptical look and the way he winced at her suggestions, Gwen realized her ideas were a bit cliché—roughly the same tier as "White Widow" or "Spider-Woman."
"Fine, you do it. You're better at naming things."
Peter made a show of deep thought before tossing out the name he'd been holding onto. "How about... Nightingale?"
In most universes, Felicia Hardy was destined to be Black Cat. But this Felicia had gained the Dragon's recognition and was on a completely different path.
The Nightingale was known for its beautiful voice and was most active at night—perfectly mirroring her performance on 7th Avenue.
Gwen's eyes lit up. "That sounds beautiful! Nightingale it is!"
She immediately whipped out her phone and sent a text to Felicia:
Hero Codename: Nightingale! Peter picked it out for you. Do you like it? We can fight side-by-side after school from now on!
Back in her bedroom, Felicia looked at the message with an incredibly conflicted expression. She pictured The Arbiter's powerful, perfect silhouette, which was immediately replaced by Peter's handsome, gentle smile.
She buried her face in her pillow, groaning. Why did it have to be like this? She finally finds a guy she's genuinely interested in, and he turns out to be her close friend—who is already basically dating her best friend.
Part of her wanted to reject it all, to keep her distance and let her racing heart cool down. But... what teenage girl could turn down being a world-renowned superhero? Who could walk away from that taste of magic?
Eventually, her fingers moved as if possessed. She typed back:
I love it... See you at school tomorrow.
The moment she sent it, she realized there was no "undo" button. "What have I done..." she whispered, sinking into a deeper spiral of conflict. It was going to be a long, sleepless night for her.
Of course, in a city as big as New York, she wasn't the only one losing sleep.
"Tony! Thank God you're back!"
At the base of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts lunged forward and hugged Tony Stark the moment he stepped out of the car. Smelling her perfume, Tony felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"You have no idea, Pepper. Half a month in that hellhole... I only have two things on my mind. First, a cheeseburger. And second..."
Pepper quickly covered his mouth, glancing at the swarming paparazzi. Tony, don't you dare say something inappropriate on camera!
Meanwhile, on the top floor of Stark Industries, Obadiah Stane watched the two of them through the glass. His "good uncle" facade crumbled as he smashed his wine glass against the floor.
"F*ck! What is the Ten Rings doing? How could those idiots fail to kill one pampered Playboy?!"
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