Chapter 13: Coulson is Confused! Gwen Fights Two!
"…My name is Skye. So, the handsome guy is called Ethan Lee?"
Although Ethan seemed harder to approach than she expected, Skye still attempted to start a conversation. "I heard you also teach classes at school. Should I call you 'Professor'?"
"Skye?"
Ethan immediately sat up straight, now fully attentive to the stunning woman in front of him. After confirming her appearance, he smirked. "Tell me, are you interested in becoming a superhero?"
Seeing that Ethan was finally engaged, Skye flipped her hair with a playful smile. "Is this some kind of entrance quiz for joining the club?"
Both of them became increasingly absorbed in their conversation, the chemistry between them undeniable.
However, the people waiting in line grew impatient.
"Oh, looks like we're hogging the spotlight," Skye said sheepishly, glancing at the irritated onlookers.
She handed Ethan a small slip of paper with her contact number and mimed a phone call gesture beside her ear. "Let's talk later, Ethan~"
"I have a better idea—why don't you wait in the lounge for a bit?" Ethan suggested before heading back inside the club.
Inside, Peter and Ned were curiously inspecting various Ghost Spider-themed costumes.
Ethan clapped his hands together, grabbing their attention. "Hey, Peter, Ned. Since you both just joined the club, you must be eager to contribute, right?"
"Of course, Ethan! What do you need?" Peter replied enthusiastically, raising his camera. "I could take pictures of Ghost Spider in action!"
Ethan shook his head. "No, no, no. That's way too dangerous. Wherever Ghost Spider appears, criminals follow." He patted Peter's shoulder. "I have a much easier job for you. And Ned, you too."
A few minutes later…
Peter and Ned found themselves sitting at the registration desk, exchanging helpless glances before turning to face the next applicant—a middle-aged man.
Peter: "Name?"
Ned: "Age?"
Coulson: "…"
Agent Coulson had come to investigate Skye's interest in the club, but now he was second-guessing the legitimacy of this whole operation.
Could these kids really be serious about recruiting members? Or was something else going on behind the scenes? His instincts as a seasoned agent told him there was more to this club than met the eye—especially considering its connection to Ghost Spider. He made a mental note to dig deeper.
---
A Cozy Café Encounter
"This place is nice… it has an intimate vibe," Skye observed, looking around.
Ethan had brought her to an upscale café with an artistic atmosphere. A soft piano melody played in the background, and the walls were adorned with framed paintings.
Leaning in closer, Skye whispered, "I know this might be a little rude to the café owner, but I have to ask—do you think those paintings are real or fake?"
Ethan chuckled. "The 'Morning in Vienna' painting, framed behind bulletproof glass in the corner, is the real deal. Same with 'The Moon' in the main lobby and 'The Bat' behind the front desk."
He gestured around. "The rest? Just decorative replicas. It'd be foolish to leave real masterpieces hanging by the window—just asking for thieves to make a move."
"As expected from a PhD in Fine Arts," Skye teased, taking a small bite of her cherry cake. "You figured all that out at a glance—impressive~"
She was clearly charmed.
Ethan smirked and waved over the pianist. "Let's change the tune to something more romantic." As the melody shifted, he casually added, "By the way, I own this café."
Skye blinked in surprise, then scooped up a spoonful of cake and fed it to him. "You're mean, Ethan. Were you just waiting to mess with me?"
Ethan was about to respond when suddenly…
[ALERT: Gwen Stacy's nemesis, "Green Goblin" Norman Osborn, detected nearby.]
[ALERT: "Rhino" Aleksei Sytsevich detected nearby.]
"…What?"
Before he could react, a massive figure crashed through the café's glass door.
Shaking his head in frustration, Rhino bellowed, "SPIDER! Damn it!" before charging straight out again.
Skye gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh my god, that's Rhino! He's all over the news!"
Ethan sighed. "Looks like we'll have to reschedule our conversation."
Skye clutched her purse. "Do you want me to call the police?" she asked quickly. "Ethan, maybe we should just leave—it's not safe here."
Call the police? As if George Stacy could handle this.
Ethan had already spotted Gwen swinging between the buildings in the distance, Norman Osborn's Goblin glider hot on her tail.
Seemed like she had more than one problem to deal with today.