Chapter 24: New neighbour
**Earth-66, 2012**
The morning was calm as Peter and Gwen got ready for school, slipping into their usual routine. Breakfast was quick, and soon they found themselves in school and were on their way to class.
However, Peter's enhanced intelligence made the classes feel like a chore. The material was far too easy and he often found himself daydreaming or distracted.
Despite the monotony, Peter decided to make the best of it. 'Why not have some fun?' he thought. Using his connection to Gwen, he began whispering absurd and silly comments into her mind.
"Psst. Gwen, do you think the teacher knows they've repeated the same slide five times? Maybe they're stuck in a time loop," he said in mock-serious tone.
Gwen stifled a giggle and bit her lip. "Peter, stop! I'm trying to pay attention!"
But Peter wasn't done. He escalated the prank by tickling her lightly through her dress, since her clothes are made by him he can manipulate them however he wanted and began simulating the sensation on her sensitive parts.
Gwen's face turned red as she struggled to maintain her composure. "I swear, Peter, if you don't stop—!"
His laughter echoed in her head as he teased, "You're cute when you're trying not to laugh."
He then took it to next level and began to play with her breasts.
It took everything in Gwen's willpower not to burst into laughter or moan in the middle of class. Her hands clenched the desk and she shot him a glare. "Peter," she hissed under her breath, "if you stop right now, I'll... I'll let you have your way with me later!"
Peter immediately halted, leaning back in his chair with a triumphant grin. "Deal," he whispered through their connection.
Gwen's hateful glare only amused him further. He asked Great Sage in his mind. 'Take a picture of her expression and save it. I'm framing this one.'
The rest of the school day passed uneventfully, and after the final bell rang, the two headed home together. But Gwen didn't talk to Peter even though he's saying sorry for that incident.
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At home, Aunt May who had returned from the trip is watching TV in the living room with a smile. "Peter! You're back early today," she said while pulling him into a warm hug.
Peter hugged her back. "Hey, Aunt May. How was your trip?"
May sat down beside him, sipping her tea. "Oh, it was wonderful! Your uncle Ben always talked about taking me to see those old gardens, and I finally got the chance to go. But enough about me—how are things with you and Gwen?"
Peter's face lit up. "Things are going great! We're closer than ever, Aunt May."
May smiled warmly. "I'm so happy to hear that. Gwen's a good girl, Peter. Make sure you take care of her, alright?"
Peter nodded seriously. "I will, Aunt May. I promise."
May reached over and ruffled his hair affectionately. "That's my boy. Now, dinner will be ready soon. Why don't you go do your homework?."
Peter nodded and went to his room and immediately began eating through his stack of books—literally. He absorbed the books, and Great Sage quickly processed the information.
He asked to sage to complete the homework given today which was completed in seconds, leaving Peter with plenty of free time.
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A few moments later...
Peter then sat back in his chair, feeling satisfied. He had just finished a call with his publisher, who delivered great news—his book was doing exceptionally well in the market. Readers were loving it, and sales were steadily climbing.
After some back-and-forth, the publisher eagerly inquired about the next installment. It's just been a short time since the release but it's already a hit.
Peter smiled and assured them that the next part of the book would be ready within a month. Cutting the call, he leaned back and closed his eyes, savoring the moment.
"Not bad," he murmured to himself with a small smile playing on his lips. He was proud of his progress, not only as a superhero or a symbiote host, but also as a writer carving out a name for himself.
The book's success brought him one step closer to his bigger dream—buying shares, building his capital, and eventually launching his own company.
For now, though, he decided to take it easy. Gwen was busy doing her homework, and he didn't want to interrupt her focus. He planned to spend the evening with her, knowing that tonight would be an important one for him—he'd finally be gaining complete immunity to his weaknesses.
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The hours passed quickly. After a quiet dinner together, Gwen excused herself to her room to wind down for the night. Once she was settled, Peter emerged from her body and his avatar materialised in front of her.
Gwen who is lying on her bed blinked at him in surprise. "What's up?" she asked while brushing her hair behind her ear.
Peter sat down beside her, "I've got some new powers," he said in a serious tone. "You know how I've been trying to get rid of my weaknesses—fire and sound, right?"
Gwen nodded, "Yeah, you've mentioned that before. Did you figure it out?"
He nodded and began explaining everything in detail—the powers he had absorbed from Darwin, his newly gained reactive adaptation, and his plan to gain immunity through controlled exposure to his weaknesses.
Gwen listened intently and her eyes widening as she processed the information. "So, you're telling me you've been experimenting with things that could literally kill you, just to overcome your vulnerabilities?"
Peter chuckled softly. "When you put it that way, it sounds reckless. But trust me, it's necessary. I can't afford to have weaknesses, Gwen. Not after what happened last time."
She frowned and is concerned about him, "You know I'll always support you, but... promise me you'll be careful. I don't want to lose you."
Peter placed a hand over hers, "I promise. And besides," he added with a playful grin, "you'll feel a bit of the pain too, so you'll keep me in check."
Gwen groaned while shaking her head. "Great. Thanks for that, Peter. I'm thrilled to share in your brilliant experiments."
Though she trusted him completely, she couldn't shake the unease she felt knowing he would expose himself to fire and sound—two forces that had proven to be his greatest weaknesses and can kill him.
Back in other earth, Peter activated his experiment, pouring gasoline on the factory floor and igniting it with a spark of electricity, the flames roared to life, surrounding him. He took a deep breath and stepped into the inferno.
The searing pain hit him instantly, a sensation that would have once crippled him. But this time, his body began adapting almost immediately.
Back in her room, Gwen's eyes flew open as a sharp, burning pain spread through her body. She gasped, clutching her chest as her skin felt like it was being licked by flames.
"What...?" she whispered in trembling voice. But the pain was short lived as soon, he acquired the immunity to fire.
She then adjusted herself and sat upright on her bed while gripping the edge of her bed as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. "Damn it, Peter," she muttered.
He laughed weakly, "One down," he said softly, but he knew the night wasn't over yet.
Soon, the second part of his experiment began as he activated the shockwave gauntlets he had taken from Shocker. The gloves unleashed a powerful sonic blast, slamming into Peter's body.
Gwen cried out in her room as an excruciating ringing filled her ears with her entire body shaking violently. She pressed her hands against her head, trying to block out the relentless noise but it was useless.
Peter too felt the intensity of the sonic waves, his muscles locking up as his body struggled to adapt. 'Hold on, Gwen,' he whispered through their bond. 'Just a little longer.'
Tears pricked at Gwen's eyes as she curled up on her bed with shallow breaths. She could feel Peter's determination to overcome his weakness through their connection, and it was the only thing that kept her grounded.
After what felt like an eternity, the sound faded, leaving both of them gasping for air.
Great Sage's voice once again rang in his head:
> "Reactive regeneration activated. New skill acquired: Complete sonic resistance."
Peter smiled faintly from exhaustion. "Done," he whispered. "It's done."
Meanwhile, Gwen lay motionless in her bed with her chest going up and down.
"You're insane," she muttered while wiping a tear from her cheek. But despite the pain, she couldn't help but smile.
She is truly happy that now Peter is free from his weakness, from their connection she can feel how much he wanted to get rid of his weakness and how much happy he is right now.
"You're lucky I love you." She said while looking at him, Peter chuckled and lay beside her. "Thanks for putting up with me." He then pulled her into a tight hug.
"Just don't do anything that reckless again.you idiot."
"I'll try," Peter promised with a playful grin.
Soon, both of them fell asleep while hugging eachother.
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The next morning began like any other, with Peter's avatar going through the usual routine at his house.
Aunt May had prepared breakfast, and as always, it was delicious. After finishing his meal, he kissed her on the cheek and bid her goodbye, leaving with a bright smile.
As Peter stepped outside, ready to meet Gwen, his attention was drawn to the house next door.
Movers were bustling about, unloading furniture and boxes, while a family was in the process of settling in.
Peter's eyes caught sight of a red haired girl around his age struggling with a large box, her balance precariously teetering on the edge of disaster.
Before the box could topple, Peter moved swiftly, catching her by the waist with one hand and steadying the box with the other. His quick reflexes and effortless handling of the heavy box left the girl momentarily stunned.
"Whoa," she exclaimed while blinking up at him. "Thanks for the save!"
Peter offered her a warm smile. "No problem. Are you alright?"
He got her stand straight as she nodded while brushing her hair out of her face. "Yeah, I'm good. You saved both me and this box from total disaster."
Just then, a towering man with a gruff expression stormed over, scolding the girl. "Hey, girl! Be more careful! If you break my stuff, you have to pay for it." He grabbed the box from Peter without even sparing him a glance and stomped back inside.
The movers continued their work as they are seemingly unfazed by the man's outburst.
Peter turned to the girl while raising an eyebrow. "What's his problem? He seems like a real jerk."
The girl chuckled, though there was a hint of awkwardness in her smile. "You're not wrong, but I can't exactly say that out loud. He's my dad."
Peter winced. "Oh, sorry about that."
She shook her head with a laugh. "Don't worry about it. I'm Mary Jane, by the way."
Peter froze for a second, surprised. 'Mary Jane? Here?' Shaking off his surprise, he extended his hand with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you. I'm Peter Parker. I live next door."
Before they could talk further, a familiar voice called out from down the street.
"Peter! Let's go, we're going to be late!" Gwen was standing a few yards away, her school bag slung over her shoulder.
Peter glanced at Mary Jane. "Guess that's my cue. See you around, neighbor."
MJ watched as Peter jogged toward Gwen with a unreadable expression.
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As Peter and Gwen boarded the school bus, Gwen couldn't help but smirk. "You're unbelievable, you know that?"
Peter blinked in confused. "What do you mean?"
"First, you go to another universe and bond with another girl," she teased while poking his arm. "And now you're already making moves on the new girl next door? You're such a playboy, Peter."
Peter sighed while shaking his head. "Seriously, Gwen?" He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips silencing her teasing.
Gwen blinked in surprise before a smile broke out on her face. "Okay, what was that for?" she asked.
Peter grinned while leaning back in his seat. "That's one way to shut your girlfriend up."
She gave him a playful punch on the shoulder and rolled her eyes but her smile lingered as they settled in for the ride to school.
Meanwhile, back on the street, Mary Jane stood by the moving truck, watching them leave with a thoughtful look.
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After few class, some students are going for the field trip and Peter and Gwen are with them now.
The class was buzzing with excitement as they boarded the bus for a field trip to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Peter and Gwen had snagged the last row seats, quickly slipping into their own little world of conversation and playful banter.
As the bus rumbled through the streets, Flash Thompson, ever the troublemaker, got up from his seat and began making his way toward the back. His intentions were clear—he wanted to mess with Peter.
Peter glanced at him and sighed. 'Not today.'
Using his telepathic powers, Peter erased Flash's plan to mess with him from his mind. Almost immediately, Flash stopped and looked confused for a moment and then turned around. He walked back to his seat, resuming his conversation with Liz Allen and their group of friends.
Gwen who is observant caught the shift in Peter's gaze. "You used your powers on him, didn't you?" she asked while raising an eyebrow.
Peter grinned sheepishly. "Nothing escapes your sharp eyes, my spider bride."
She rolled her eyes. "Peter, seriously, you can't just go around using your powers like that. It might become addic—"
Peter cut her off by placing his hand over hers. "I know, Gwen. I don't go around snooping in people's minds or controlling them."
'I'm not some mind raping bald-headed telepath.' he thought in his mind.
"I only removed Flash's thought of messing with me for the day. That's all. I just wanted to enjoy this trip with you."
Gwen's expression softened as she smiled. She leaned closer, looping her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder. Peter smiled back, gently running his fingers through her hair as he gazed out the window.
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After a smooth journey, the bus pulled up at the American Museum of Natural History, and the students piled out eagerly.
The teachers organized them into groups, guiding them through various exhibits showcasing dinosaurs, ancient artifacts, and space displays.
Peter and Gwen were fully immersed in the experience, asking questions and enjoying the exhibits. Some of their classmates, however, looked bored and distracted.
Then, just as the group moved into the next section, Peter and Gwen's Spider-Sense flared simultaneously. They both froze and shared a quick glance at eachother.
Bang!
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the museum, followed by screams of panic.
Everyone turned to see six men armed with guns, standing near the entrance to the exhibit hall. They raised their weapons, pointing them at the students and teachers.
"Nobody move!" one of the gunmen barked with his voice loud and threatening.
The room fell into terrified silence as the armed men scanned the crowd.
Peter had one thought in his mind, 'Are you fucking kidding me?'
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