"I don't understand."
Christine frowned as she looked at Ryan, who was clearly losing his temper.
"I strongly advise you not to meddle in certain matters," Ryan said, his voice tense as he took a step forward. "For example, what you're holding in your hand right now."
He stopped in front of her, extending his hand. "Give it to me," he demanded.
Christine observed his nervous expression, her mind racing with questions.
Why does he care so much about this file?
"Is this important to you?" she asked hesitantly, gripping the documents tighter.
"Of course," Ryan responded, his voice laced with urgency.
Reluctantly, Christine handed the CT scan charts over. The moment Ryan took them, he let out a deep sigh, visibly relieved.
These documents were copies of Peter Parker's scans—information he had retained without Peter's consent. If Peter ever found out, Ryan knew he wouldn't have a good ending.
Peter Parker…
At first glance, he was just an ordinary high school student. But Ryan had long stopped believing in appearances. He had his suspicions, and though he had no concrete evidence, the embryo-like mutation on Peter's chest had taken the form of a spider. It was hard not to make connections.
Could Peter Parker actually be Spider-Man?
"Are these patient records?" Christine pressed, watching him carefully.
Ryan shook his head. "Sorry, but a doctor must maintain confidentiality."
"But this—this isn't normal," Christine argued, taking a deep breath as she forced herself to process what she had seen. "This defies everything we know about human biology."
She pointed at the shredded remains of the scan.
"What exactly is this?"
Ryan's patience was wearing thin. He stepped closer, his eyes cold.
"Whatever it is, it's none of your business, Dr. Palmer," he said flatly. "Now, I think you should leave."
Christine hesitated, still full of doubts. But Ryan's demeanor made it clear that pushing any further would be pointless.
"Fine," she muttered, before turning on her heel and walking out.
Ryan let out a long breath once she was gone. He walked to his desk and opened a drawer, intending to hide the documents inside.
But after a brief moment of hesitation, he changed his mind.
Instead, he walked to the shredder.
One by one, he fed the CT scan copies into the machine, watching as they were torn into tiny, unreadable pieces.
As he disposed of the final sheet, a sense of unease still lingered.
Even if Christine had suspicions, without this evidence, she had nothing.
No proof.
No way to expose him.
The Next Morning
"You don't look so good."
Strange eyed Christine, noting the dark circles under her eyes as she walked into the hospital.
"I didn't sleep well," she admitted.
"Insomnia?" Strange nodded. "As a doctor, I could offer you a medical explanation. But from a psychological perspective, I have another theory."
Christine sighed. "Let me guess—you're about to say something ridiculous."
"Not at all," Strange smirked. "You have insomnia because you woke up in someone else's dream."
Christine rolled her eyes. "You're a surgeon, not a magician."
"Psychology and neuroscience are closely related," he replied. "It's not just nonsense."
"Thanks for the psychological mumbo-jumbo, but it's not helpful."
"Then how about this—maybe you just need some rest," Strange suggested as they walked toward the operating room.
"I'm fine," Christine insisted, though she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Strange raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
"I…" Christine hesitated before looking at him. "What do you think about Peter Parker?"
"Why do you ask?"
"You two seem familiar with each other."
Strange scoffed. "Just because he hit me once doesn't mean we're friends."
He removed his surgical mask, taking in a breath of fresh air.
"But I will say this—there's something strange about him. I can't quite explain it, but I can sense it."
Christine nodded slowly.
Could Peter Parker really be connected to the bizarre discovery she had made?
Midtown High School
The moment Peter stepped onto campus, he noticed something felt… off.
"Hey, Peter!"
Before he could figure out what was going on, Gwen Stacy interrupted his thoughts.
"Quick question," she said, holding up a newspaper. "One of the most shocking events of the 21st century was JFK's assassination in 1963. Do you know the other one?"
Peter blinked. "That wasn't in the 21st century, Gwen."
"Details, details," Gwen waved him off. "The other major event is that New York now has two Spider-Men."
She flipped the newspaper around to show him the article.
"People are losing their minds over it."
Peter frowned as he skimmed the text. "The Daily Bugle, huh? Let me guess—not a positive review?"
"Not even close," Gwen muttered, her mood souring as she read further.
The article made a direct comparison between the rise of Spider-Man and a famous historical assassination—implying that heroes like him were more of a problem than a solution.
Gwen's expression darkened.
"If you think about it," she read aloud, "some things appear to have ended, but in reality, they've only triggered irreversible changes. The future remains uncertain."
She put the paper down, looking unimpressed.
"This newspaper is officially on my blacklist."
Peter smirked. "Do you really like Spider-Man that much?"
"Which one? The original or the new guy?" Gwen teased, tilting her head. "Because I like them both."
She leaned forward, her eyes lighting up.
"They're special. They help people, and that's cool."
She exhaled, her expression turning thoughtful.
"You ever see something wrong happening and want to help, but you just… can't?" she murmured. "If I had that kind of power, I'd use it for good."
She blushed slightly.
Peter nodded, but his expression was unreadable.
"That's the ideal," he said. "But in reality, superheroes rarely change anything."
Gwen frowned. "What do you mean?"
Peter looked past her, watching the students walking through the hallways.
"Birds don't rescue the ones left behind," he said quietly. "They drive them away."
Gwen tilted her head in confusion.
Before she could ask what he meant, the school bell rang.
Peter gave her a small smile before walking away, leaving her standing there, deep in thought.
End of Chapter 71