Chapter 98: The Duty to Help Others

A few minutes later, thanks to Peter's abilities, the two of them had reached the rooftop of a building far enough away from the alley where the assault had taken place. Once they were certain they were alone and out of sight, Gwen took off the suit she had borrowed and returned all of Peter's equipment to him. He put his suit back on and secured his web-shooters in place, while his clothes were stored in Gwen's bag.

From there, Gwen no longer really had any choice but to tell him the whole truth. She told him what had happened earlier that day at the laboratory, the bite from one of the Connors' experimental spiders, her fainting a few moments later and, above all, the reason behind her particularly strange behavior since waking up. She also had to admit that she had deliberately taken his suit and web-shooters without asking for his permission.

Caught off guard by everything he had just heard, Peter remained completely silent at first. He slowly raised his hands to his face and covered it entirely, before letting out a long sigh as he began pacing back and forth across the rooftop. Gwen, visibly uncomfortable with the situation and perfectly aware of what she had just confessed to him, simply watched him without saying a word. The silence between them quickly became heavy, until Peter finally stopped and spoke.

— "So, if I understand correctly… you don't have your powers yet… is that right?"

— "So far, I haven't felt anything strange, whether it's super-strength or heightened senses, so no. Was it the same for you…?"

— "It didn't take very long, but yeah… my powers didn't appear immediately either."

At that answer, a small smile of relief appeared almost immediately on Gwen's face. Until then, part of her had still been afraid that the bite might ultimately have had no effect, but what Peter had just told her seemed, on the contrary, to confirm that anything could still happen.

— "That's a relief. That means they'll appear soon."

— "No, Gwen. You're going to drink the Connors' DNA purifier, and we're going to remove that spider DNA from your body."

Gwen's smile immediately disappeared.

— "W-What? No! You can't do that!"

— "And why not?"

— "Because they're my powers! Not yours!"

Peter stared at her for a few seconds, as if he still had trouble processing the fact that he was actually having such a conversation with the girl he loved. He eventually let out another sigh, but this one had little to do with the previous one.

It was almost the sigh of someone who already knew perfectly well how a story would end and now found himself facing someone convinced that she could still change its course.

— "Listen… I know what you're thinking… but is it really that serious…?"

— "Stop, Gwen. You really don't know what you're talking about. You think this is a game?"

— "No! I know it's not a game, but—"

— "But what? Now that you've been bitten by a genetically modified spider, you think you can make yourself a suit, have gadgets, and stop criminals? It doesn't work like that, Gwen. Are you really aware of what that involves?"

As he spoke, Peter slowly began walking toward her. His concern, which he had tried to contain until then, was becoming increasingly difficult to hide behind his words.

— "You've known my secret for almost a year now. You've had time to properly analyze my daily life, haven't you? You know how hard it is! So how can you say things like that, huh?!"

The tone he had just used slightly surprised Gwen, and her expression darkened almost immediately. Peter noticed it right away. The anger that had just passed through his voice faded as quickly as it had appeared and, overcome by a feeling of guilt, he looked away slightly. That wasn't how he wanted to speak to her. After a few seconds, he continued in a more controlled voice.

— "You have a choice, Gwen. You're not like me. You have no responsibility toward this city and its people. You don't have to take this path."

— "And what's the difference between the two of us? Why would it be different just because it's you?"

— "Gwen…"

She slowly raised her eyes toward him. This time, despite everything he had just told her, she no longer seemed willing to let Peter decide alone what this bite was supposed to mean for her.

— "No, tell me! Why? Is it because you lost your uncle? Is it because he taught you that having great power meant having great responsibilities? Well, you know what? He was wrong!"

Peter frowned slightly. She knew perfectly well how much that phrase meant to him and, for a moment, he had absolutely no idea where Gwen was going with this by saying such a thing. So he looked at her in confusion, waiting for her to continue.

— "Responsibilities aren't reserved only for those who have great powers like you. On the contrary! They're right there, for everyone! For you, me, and everyone in this city and the entire world! We all have responsibilities! We all have a duty to help others!"

Gwen's words caught Peter off guard. He remained silent in front of her, visibly surprised by the direction her reasoning had taken, while she paused briefly before continuing, still driven by the same conviction.

— "You say I don't understand, but you're wrong, Peter… I'm far from naive, and you should know that. Before you found me, I witnessed an assault. And I'm not talking about some simple little theft, but a real assault that probably would've ended in tragedy if I hadn't acted. The man you saw on the ground, the one I'd tied up, had a knife and a gun, but I managed to neutralize him."

This new information immediately changed Peter's expression. Until now, he only knew that he had found Gwen near a man immobilized by his own webs, without knowing the exact circumstances that had led up to the scene.

Upon learning that she had found herself facing a man armed with a knife and a gun, he immediately opened his mouth to intervene, but Gwen firmly raised a hand in front of him, refusing to let him interrupt her before she was finished.

— "And to be completely honest… at first, I was scared. I even considered leaving. I told myself it was crazy and that I shouldn't do this… after all, I didn't even have powers. So what could I possibly do? But I thought about my father… about what he did… and you know very well that he helped people and put himself in danger for others without hesitation!"

Faced with this determination which, despite all its sincerity, still seemed almost naive in Peter's eyes, he clenched his teeth slightly.

— "But that was his job!"

— "And maybe it's yours?! You know it's not, Peter. In reality, we're exactly the same. You decided to do what you do of your own free will and for your own reasons. And I want to do the same thing too. So don't tell me that I have a choice and you don't."

She stepped slightly closer in turn, reducing the distance between them before staring intensely into Peter's eyes. She was no longer simply trying to make him understand her point of view, but to show him that she was completely serious and that the words she was saying weren't the result of some fleeting excitement.

— "We always have a choice, Peter. And I think you know that better than anyone."

Peter remained silent in front of her. Deep down, he knew perfectly well that Gwen had just backed him into a corner. He could keep explaining to her why this life was dangerous, tell her about all the injuries he had suffered or all the times he had thought he wouldn't make it back alive from a fight, but he couldn't really question what she had just told him.

As much as he didn't want to see her keep her future powers and take the same path as him, Gwen was right on that point. He had had a choice too. No one had forced him to become Spider-Man. He had decided himself to use his abilities to protect others, and claiming that Gwen didn't have that same freedom would have been deeply contradictory.

He closed his eyes and took a long breath, trying to bring some order to all the thoughts racing through his head, before opening them again and looking back at Gwen.

— "…Can I ask you a question?"

She nodded softly.

— "Specifically… why do you want to become like me? Is it to be like me? To be like your father… or is it the excitement of experiencing things you could never experience otherwise? I want you to be honest with me. It's important."

This time, Gwen didn't answer immediately. Her gaze slowly drifted away from Peter's and wandered somewhere into the distance, while her fingers nervously began fidgeting with each other.

She knew what she felt, but putting all of it into words was much more complicated. So she remained silent for a few moments, searching for the best way to explain something that she herself had only just begun to understand.

— "…I've always admired you, Peter. You and my father. I've always thought you were both brave, and I've always loved your willingness to help others. I even think I got that from both of you. But at the same time… I've often found myself thinking: 'Why? Why do they keep going? They're going to end up in danger or get themselves killed!' And to be honest… that's something that often terrified me with my father. When I was little, I sometimes even had trouble sleeping, and I'd have nightmares where I found out he'd died while I was in class. And on the other hand… it's happened with you sometimes too. Even though I trusted you and your abilities… I often wondered what exactly pushed you both to do all of this. And it was when I saved that woman that I understood."

Peter parted his lips, ready to answer her, but Gwen raised her hand once again to stop him. She wasn't finished yet and, now that she had started expressing everything she had in her heart, she wanted to see it through to the end.

— "And I don't want you to think it's because it was an adrenaline rush or because it felt good to have someone be grateful. No… it was seeing her safe and alive. You should've seen her face. She was terrified. But when she realized it was over… she was so relieved and happy. And that's when I understood. Dad and you, you don't just help people out of the goodness of your hearts. You help them because you know what it's like to suffer. What it's like to lose someone or to go through something, and you want to prevent as many people as possible from experiencing the pain you've experienced. In any way you can. And I feel stupid for not understanding that sooner."

She stepped closer to Peter once again, closing the few centimeters that still separated them, then gently took his hands in hers.

All the firmness with which she had stood up to him a few moments earlier was still there, but her expression had softened. She was no longer trying to win an argument or prove him wrong. She simply wanted him to understand just how much this decision truly meant to her.

— "So I just want you to know that when my powers appear, I'll do what I need to do. I'll have a suit and I'll go help people. And if you don't want to help me, I won't hold it against you. But I don't want you to stop me, Peter. Please. If I have the ability to help and save dozens, maybe even hundreds of people, like you and my father… I don't want to miss that chance."

Peter remained silent at first, surprised by everything she had just confided in him. Yet, as he watched her still holding his hands, something gradually began to change in his expression. His features relaxed and, against all expectations, a slight smile even appeared on his lips. Gwen noticed it immediately and seemed surprised herself, having visibly prepared for a very different reaction.

In Peter's mind, certain memories that seemed both distant and yet still so recent had just resurfaced. He thought back to the moment George Stacy had discovered his secret, to their reunion, as unexpected as it was emotional, after all those years and, above all, to the conversation they had had about his life as Spider-Man.

The more Peter thought about it, the more he realized just how strangely similar that conversation was to the one he was having with Gwen. Except this time, the roles had been reversed. He was no longer the one trying to defend his choice to someone who was worried about him. He had become the one who was afraid of seeing someone he loved willingly put herself in danger, while Gwen was now exactly where he had once been. The irony of the situation eventually amused him despite himself, and a small laugh escaped him, which only deepened Gwen's confusion.

— "Fuck, I can't believe it…" he muttered.

— "Can I know why you're laughing…?"

— "S-Sorry, it's just… it's just that I think all of this is crazy. So much has happened since I became Spider-Man and now, I find out that you're going to have powers and that you want to become a superhero too… it kind of reminds me of how I was in the beginning."

She watched him for a few seconds, trying to determine what this sudden change in attitude could possibly mean. Then, with slight hesitation, she finally asked the question whose answer truly mattered to her.

— "So… does that mean you're going to help me…?"

The young man let out a long sigh of resignation. He could have kept trying to argue for hours, but he knew Gwen well enough to know that it probably wouldn't change anything about the decision she had just made.

— "Well… it's not like you're giving me much of a choice. Whether I'm there or not, you'll do it anyway, so I might as well be there to help you."

The moment she heard his answer, Gwen burst with joy. All the tension that had still been weighing on her just a few seconds earlier seemed to disappear all at once, and she already began imagining herself in action, using her future powers to travel across the city, help people, and save those who needed it. Her excitement was quickly dampened, however, when she noticed that Peter had returned to a much more serious expression.

— "But I want to be clear about one thing: you'll follow my rules. If I tell you to do something, you do it. And if I tell you not to do something, you don't do it. We're clear on that…?"

— "Y-Yes! I'll listen to everything you tell me! Trust me! And thank you for helping me, Peter! Really!"

Too happy to contain her enthusiasm any longer, Gwen threw herself into Peter's arms and hugged him tightly. After a brief second of surprise, he wrapped his arms around her in return. Despite all the apprehension he still felt about this new situation and everything it might lead to, Peter couldn't keep being so hard on the girl he loved.

This was clearly not the conclusion he had hoped to reach when he started this discussion, but he now had to accept it: when someone like Gwen Stacy had truly made up her mind about something, it was difficult to stop her and even more difficult to refuse to help her.

After their discussion, Peter quickly went back to deal with the assailant Gwen had left immobilized in the alley. Still securely wrapped in his webs, the man was dropped off in front of a police station, along with a small note explaining the situation so that the officers would understand what had happened.

Once that was done, Peter rejoined Gwen and the two of them headed home together, making their way across the rooftops of New York using Spider-Man's webs until they reached their house.

TO BE CONTINUED.