"Ghost?"
Gwen was still lost in thought about the strange event from earlier, the conversation about the ghost, as she walked home after school with Peter.
"I've been thinking about something," Gwen suddenly said, breaking the silence.
Peter looked at her, curious. "What is it?"
Gwen's eyes lit up with excitement, her thoughts clearly racing as she continued, "I want to change my name. I don't mean that Spider-Woman is a bad name, but I was thinking… maybe I could come up with something cooler to set myself apart from you."
The two of them were walking through the subway, heading back home. It was winter, and the temperature was dropping with Christmas just around the corner, but Gwen barely seemed to notice. She was dressed comfortably, with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her jacket, her hoodie pulled up over her head. She didn't mind the chill at all.
Peter raised an eyebrow at her suggestion. "What kind of name do you have in mind?"
"I was thinking about Ghost Spider," Gwen answered, her mood light, clearly happy with the idea. "It's different from Spider-Man, don't you think? And it has a cool ring to it."
Peter, taking her suggestion seriously, thought for a moment. "Yeah, Ghost Spider sounds good. But I think Spider-Gwen could work too, though that might give away your identity. Maybe you could use that name once your secret is out."
Gwen's face fell slightly. "Spider-Gwen? I don't think that's a good idea. If I reveal who I am, I'll be arrested and locked away."
Peter was taken aback. "Why would you want to go to jail?"
Gwen's voice became strained as she explained, "Because my dad is the leader of the police task force hunting down Spider-Woman. If he ever finds out my secret identity, he'll capture me without a second thought. I'm his daughter, but his job comes first."
Peter was surprised at the depth of her concern. "But he's still your dad, right? Doesn't that matter more?"
Gwen hesitated, lowering her gaze to the ground as they continued walking. "I don't know. I'm afraid of the moment when he finds out the truth. I hope that day never comes."
Her voice trembled slightly as she added, "Peter, you're the only one who knows who I really am. If the world, even my dad, doesn't understand me… if that happens, will you be there for me? Will you escape this world with me?"
Peter blinked, unsure of how to respond at first. He had never thought of anything like that. But as he looked into her bright blue eyes, the intensity of her feelings became clear.
"I'll do it," he said slowly, meeting her gaze. "If it comes to that, I'll escape with you."
Gwen smiled slightly, a mixture of relief and gratitude flooding her heart. She hugged Peter's arm, the weight of her worry lifting slightly. She felt more secure now, knowing Peter was there for her.
Later that night, Peter decided to pay a visit to Reed Richards. As he had promised, Peter was bringing research funds to help further Reed's scientific endeavors, specifically his work on a space-time machine.
Reed, as usual, was eagerly showing off his latest creation. "I call it the super-remote surveillance system," Reed explained with pride, showing Peter a tiny mechanical wasp buzzing around in the air. "It's a high-precision recording device that's not just motion-sensitive or sound-sensitive, but it's also compact enough to be hidden anywhere—on a high-rise building or in a basement. And it's password-protected, so it's secure."
Peter stared at the gem wasp in Reed's hand, slightly confused. "Aren't you allergic to bees?"
Reed chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I had a bad reaction last time. My hands swelled up like balloons. But don't worry, this isn't a real bee—it's mechanical."
Peter wasn't sure what to make of it. Reed explained further, "I got the idea after being stung. I thought, why not install a surveillance system on a wasp so it can monitor something without being detected? I've been experimenting with this idea for a while."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Whose house are you planning to sneak into with this thing? Is it a girl's house?"
Reed blushed, clearly caught off guard by Peter's teasing. "I wasn't going to spy on anyone! It's for something practical. For example, I could send it to listen in on a lecture at a theoretical physics class and then have the video sent back to me. It would be like having a remote learning assistant."
Peter smiled wryly, though he didn't completely believe Reed. "Sure, Reed. That sounds entirely plausible."
After a few moments, Peter looked at the little mechanical wasp again as it flew around in the air, its wings beating rapidly. "Actually, this could be useful for something else. Can you give me a few of these? I've got some places to check out—places underground, secret places that need surveillance. Maybe it could help me figure out what's going on in the tunnels Helen mentioned."
Reed, understanding Peter's need, agreed. "Okay, but I'm keeping one for myself."
Peter nodded, then shifted the topic. "How's the research on the time travel machine going?"
Reed led Peter into his basement, which was transformed into a cluttered laboratory. It was a world of wires, glowing screens, and complex equipment. A large chair stood in the center of the room, surrounded by strange, complex contraptions.
Reed explained, "I'm still missing a few key materials. Some of them can only be found on the black market."
Peter glanced around the basement, slightly skeptical. "Are you sure about all this, Reed? You're building a time machine, but this doesn't look quite like what I imagined."
Reed shrugged. "Well, I'm still working on it. But this is the only way to make it work. Some people prefer to meet in person when selling the materials I need. Could you help me with that?"
Peter felt a little uncomfortable, looking at the list of items Reed handed him. "What exactly do you need?"
Reed listed off several key components that he had already researched but struggled to obtain. Peter skimmed through the list, wondering if Reed was serious or just playing around with another one of his wild ideas.
"Reed, you're really going to try and build this thing?" Peter asked, his voice laced with doubt.
Reed nodded confidently. "I'm Mr. Fantastic, remember? I'll get it done."
Peter rolled his eyes but suppressed his doubts. If anyone could pull it off, it would be Reed, even if his methods seemed unconventional.
As Reed showed Peter more of his inventions, Peter suddenly grew more curious about one of the machines in the corner of the room. It resembled a bracelet, sleek and high-tech. "What's this?" Peter asked, pointing to it.
"Oh, that's my time travel bracelet," Reed explained. "It condenses all the key elements into something small enough to wear. It's not finished yet, but once it's done, it should allow me to travel through different dimensions, even across time. It's going to be amazing."
Peter's eyebrows shot up. "A time travel bracelet? Well, if anyone can make that work, it's you, Reed. But I'm not sure I'm ready for time travel just yet."
Reed smiled. "Don't worry, Peter. One step at a time."
As Peter left Reed's place that night, his mind was buzzing with thoughts of both the strange ghostly encounter he had had in the swamp and Reed's far-fetched time machine. Despite his doubts, he couldn't shake the feeling that Reed's invention could be important. Maybe one day, they'd all need it.
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