MARVEL -BLACK SPIDERMAN

"From Josh and Frank, to the subway incident, and now my father—Death seems to love me. It never really leaves me," Gwen said, her voice filled with helplessness as she looked at Peter. "I said such harsh things to my dad earlier. If he doesn't wake up, I don't know how I'll live with myself."

Gwen was overwhelmed with guilt, her hands clutching her chest, staring blankly ahead.

Peter sighed quietly and sat down next to her.

"This isn't your fault, Gwen. You don't have to connect all these events and blame yourself," he said gently. Though he had sensed trouble was coming for George Stacy, he hadn't expected it to happen so soon. It had caught everyone by surprise.

Seeing the sadness on Gwen's face, Peter paused for a moment before offering more comfort. "Things haven't reached the worst yet."

Gwen nodded and looked at Peter. "Thank you, Peter. Thank you for staying with me."

She wiped her tears, her voice quieter now. "It feels like my life is always falling apart. I used to think being special was a good thing, but now I see that it comes at a heavy price."

She recalled the moment she was bitten by the radioactive spider. At first, she had been terrified, afraid that she'd turn into a monster like Frank. But when nothing about her appearance changed, she had felt a sense of hope. Maybe she could be like Spider-Man and help those in need.

Now, however, Gwen wondered if her uniqueness had only brought more weight to her life.

With red, tearful eyes, she looked at Peter. "I don't know what to do, Peter. I really don't. Sometimes I even think my father was right. Maybe I'm just an ordinary person. Maybe I'm not lucky enough to win at everything."

Her conviction was faltering. She had tried so hard to help others, but it seemed like people kept dying around her. Was this the right path?

Peter sat silently next to her, watching the rain taper off outside.

Does every Spider-Man have a tragic fate? he wondered. Does every Spider-Man have to lose something?

He remembered what Madame Web had told him—that someone he loved or who loved him was nearing the shadow of death. Could she have been talking about Gwen?

Peter shook the thought from his mind. He couldn't let himself believe in that kind of fatalism. He was still alive, despite the alien parasite inside him. He had been fighting fate all along—so why start believing in it now?

"Gwen," Peter said suddenly, turning to her. "I remember you once told me you wanted to be a superhero, right?"

Gwen was taken aback by his question, but she nodded. "Yes, I did."

Peter looked directly into her eyes. "Your father was right in one sense—ordinary people can't win at everything. But heroes can. Even if they get bruised and broken, they still find a way to win in the end. That's what makes them heroes."

Though Peter considered himself selfish, he wasn't heartless. He couldn't just stand by and watch Gwen suffer.

He had once told her he couldn't empathize with others, but right now, his heart was aching for her.

Maybe he should add "hypocritical" to the list of negative traits he had assigned to himself.

Countless thoughts raced through his mind as he said, "I believe in you, Gwen. Since you want to be a hero, you won't let this defeat you."

Gwen stared at Peter, her eyes glistening with tears. She wanted to pour out all her feelings, to tell him everything she was thinking. Or maybe she just wanted to throw herself into his arms, cry her heart out, and then pick herself back up to face whatever came next.

"I..."

She struggled with her thoughts, but instead, she asked, "Do you really think I can do it? I can't even save my dad."

"The first person a superhero saves is usually themselves," Peter replied, his gaze shifting to the people bustling through the hospital corridor. "Start with yourself, Gwen. Find your strength."

"Yeah," Gwen nodded, the confusion and self-doubt in her heart beginning to ease.

Her once restless heart started to settle. Having Peter by her side gave her the courage to face everything.

Peter was right. Maybe this was the burden of being a hero—the responsibility that came with the power.

Gwen took a deep breath, feeling herself gather strength. She was about to say something to Peter when the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway.

"Peter! Gwen!"

It was Harry, hurrying toward them, calling from a distance.

"Harry?" Gwen looked at him in surprise, unsure why he was there.

"It's raining pretty heavily out there," Harry said, shaking the raindrops off his umbrella. "I came as soon as I heard the news."

Gwen blinked, confused. "How did you hear about this, Harry?"

"Peter called me," Harry explained, glancing at Peter.

"Harry's family has connections with some of the best doctors in the country," Peter said, explaining why he had reached out to Harry. He wanted to use the Osborn family's influence to gather more medical resources.

Gwen hadn't realized Peter had thought things through so carefully, and she shot him a grateful look.

"Ahem," Harry cleared his throat with a grin. "Thanks for framing my rich-kid status in a positive light, Peter. Gwen, I asked my father to bring in the top doctors in the country to consult on your dad's case."

He turned to Gwen, his expression sincere. "Uncle Stacy's going to be okay."

Despite being in a cold war with his father, Harry had broken their agreement after Peter's call and asked Norman Osborn for help.

"Thank you, Harry! Thank you!" Gwen said, her gratitude overflowing.

As they talked, more officers from the New York Police Department arrived.

A few minutes later, Peter walked up to Sheriff DeWolfe.

"Sheriff DeWolfe, can we talk?" Peter asked.

The sheriff was momentarily surprised to see Peter but quickly regained her composure. She knew who he was—this classmate of Gwen's had caused her old partner plenty of headaches.

"Of course," she said.

"Who was the last person Sheriff Stacy spoke to?" Peter asked.

"Matt Murdock," DeWolfe answered directly. "We checked the office security footage and didn't see anything suspicious."

She understood why Peter was asking. After George's collapse, she too had suspected Matt, but after reviewing the footage, they hadn't found anything incriminating.

Matt Murdock?

Peter's expression darkened. That troublemaker again?

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