The hum of Stark Tower's lab felt almost soothing as Gwen Stacy stepped inside, her eyes widening at the sheer scope of advanced technology around her. Panels of holographic displays flickered with precision, robotic arms adjusted equipment with mechanical grace, and the faint sound of Jarvis's ever-present, soothing voice echoed in the background. Gwen stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping slightly.
"This is... incredible," she whispered, turning in place to take it all in.
Talia Stark, leaning casually against a nearby console, smirked. "Welcome to my playground."
"It's more than that," Gwen said, her voice full of awe. "This is like something out of a sci-fi movie."
Wanda Maximoff stood nearby, arms crossed, her crimson aura faintly glowing as she watched Gwen's reaction with a soft smile. Natasha Romanoff, meanwhile, perched on the edge of a table, her green eyes glinting with amusement.
"Trust me," Natasha said, her tone light, "it's not as glamorous as it looks. Half the time, Talia's just arguing with Jarvis about coffee."
Gwen turned to Talia, curiosity lighting up her blue eyes. "Coffee?"
"Oh, don't get me started," Talia said, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Jarvis has this thing where he tracks my caffeine intake. It's like having a very polite, very annoying nanny."
"Miss Stark," Jarvis's calm voice interjected, "it is only my duty to ensure your health. Overindulgence in caffeine can lead to—"
"Yeah, yeah," Talia interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "You see what I deal with?"
Natasha smirked. "There was that one time he locked you out of the espresso machine."
Gwen's eyes widened. "He locked you out?"
"Oh, it gets better," Natasha said, leaning forward. "She tried to hack him. And lost."
Gwen laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "No way."
"Oh, way," Talia admitted with a grin. "I was halfway through bypassing the system when he hit me with, 'Miss Stark, I have anticipated your next three moves.' The smugness in his voice was unbearable."
Wanda chuckled softly. "I would've paid to see that."
"Miss Maximoff," Jarvis said smoothly, "I do not engage in smugness. I merely fulfill my programming."
"See?" Talia said, throwing up her hands. "This is what I live with."
As the laughter died down, Wanda stepped forward, her expression growing more serious. "Alright, let's focus. We can use this technology to help you, Gwen. Jarvis, pull up the footage of the Green Goblin."
The holographic displays shifted, showing grainy security footage of the armored figure flying through the streets on his glider. His movements were erratic but precise, like a predator toying with its prey. Explosions and chaos followed in his wake, leaving Gwen visibly tense.
"This guy is a nightmare," Gwen muttered, her fists clenching at her sides.
Wanda studied the footage, her crimson eyes narrowing. "In my experience, he's under the influence of some kind of super soldier serum."
Gwen turned to her, her brow furrowed. "Super soldier serum? Like... Captain America?"
"Not quite," Wanda said. "The original serum used on Steve Rogers was unique—perfectly balanced and nearly impossible to replicate. Every attempt since then has been... flawed."
Talia nodded, her expression thoughtful. "My dad used to talk about that. Howard Stark was part of the team that developed the original serum, along with the tech Steve used to fight Hydra."
Natasha snorted. "Hydra. Talk about a group that never knew when to quit."
"Yeah," Talia said, smirking. "The Nazis were bad enough, but Hydra was like, 'Hold my beer.'"
Gwen let out a small laugh despite the tension. "So this guy, the Green Goblin... he's using one of these flawed serums?"
"Most likely," Wanda said. "In Sokovia, I fought soldiers who were pumped full of similar drugs. They were strong, fast, but also unstable. The people who create these serums are always trying to build the next Captain America, but they don't care about the consequences."
Gwen's expression darkened as she looked back at the footage. "If this is what he's using, then we need to find out where it came from."
Talia tapped a few keys on the console, her expression thoughtful. "If we're looking for someone who can make a serum like this, we need to narrow down our search. Military connections, research labs, maybe even pharmaceutical companies."
"Great," Natasha said dryly. "That narrows it down to half of New York."
"Jarvis," Talia said, glancing at the ceiling, "start cross-referencing companies in New York with active military contracts and research into performance enhancement drugs. Eliminate anything tied directly to Shield or Stark Industries."
"Understood, Miss Stark," Jarvis replied.
Gwen watched the holograms shift as data began to stream across the screens. "How do you even manage all of this? It's... overwhelming."
"You get used to it," Talia said with a grin. "And it helps to have Jarvis around to do the heavy lifting."
Natasha smirked. "Just don't let him catch you trying to bypass his systems."
"Noted," Gwen said, smiling faintly.
As the trio continued to sift through the data, Gwen stepped closer to Wanda, her blue eyes filled with determination. "You've been through this kind of thing before, haven't you? Fighting people like the Green Goblin?"
Wanda nodded. "I have. And it's not easy. But you don't have to do it alone, Gwen. That's why we're here."
Gwen hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Thank you. I don't know what I'm doing half the time, but... it feels good to know I have someone to turn to."
"You're doing better than you think," Wanda said gently. "You've already saved lives. That's more than most people can say."
Natasha, listening from a few feet away, smirked. "She's not wrong. And with a little more training, you might even give us a run for our money."
Talia grinned. "Might. Let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Gwen laughed softly, the tension in her shoulders finally easing. For the first time in days, she felt what it was like to be herself.
As Jarvis continued processing the data, Wanda stepped back, crossing her arms as she addressed the group. "This is just the beginning. If the Green Goblin is connected to someone in this city, we'll find them. But it's going to take time."
"And a lot of patience," Natasha added, smirking at Talia.
"Why are you looking at me?" Talia asked, feigning innocence.
"You're not exactly known for your patience," Natasha replied, her tone light.
"Fair," Talia admitted, grinning. "But this is important. If we're going to take this guy down, we need to do it right."
Gwen nodded, her expression serious. "Whatever it takes. I'm in."
Wanda placed a hand on her shoulder, her crimson aura flickering faintly. "We'll handle this together, Gwen. You're not alone anymore."
Gwen smiled, her confidence growing. For the first time since her transformation, she felt like she was part of a team of strong independent women who were ready to take on the world but the question remained can she be of any help to them or just a burden. Gwen became determined to train harder and grow stronger than ever even if she is new to this whole crime fighting gig.
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