It was the middle of the night, and Serena and Luigi were sound asleep in their bedrooms. Wyatt, who had taken up the couch, was the only one awake, unable to sleep. His gaze was fixed on the front door, like a sentry, waiting for any movement or a sound. But nothing came.
He rubbed his eyes and stood. Quietly so as not to wake up anyone, Wyatt began to reinforce the walls, floors, windows, doors, and ceiling using several different durable and fireproof materials.
Thin layers of steel were constructed between the wall's insulation and drywall. A process he repeated for the floors and ceiling. For the windows, he replaced the easily breakable glass panes with thick, bulletproof glass. Wyatt had even added a secret sprinkler system as well. A feature the home previously lacked.
The front door was the trickiest. He had to recreate it using layers of steel and Kevlar, with a wooden outer layer to maintain appearances.
The door frame, hinges, deadbolts, and locks were now also made of adamantium. It would take an enhanced human to try and force the door to budge even a little. The real challenge was keeping the weight relatively the same as before.
Once he finished his work, Wyatt walked around and rechecked everything until he felt satisfied. The house looked exactly the same, but it was now one of the most secure homes in New York.
"Try to break in now, you bastards," Wyatt muttered as he sank into the couch. Leaning forward, he began to formulate a plan to find the people who had attacked Luigi.
He considered looking for any security camera footage in the area but quickly dismissed the idea. There was a severe lack of cameras nearby, and if there were any, they would most likely belong to a secret government agency.
Next, he thought about laying in wait for them to return, catching them in the act. However, that would require time, and Wyatt's patience was running thin.
So, he contemplated sweeping the streets and confronting every criminal and thug he could find. It would only be a matter of time before one of them had the information he needed. But this plan came with risks. He could end up alerting whatever loan shark Luigi had made a deal with, potentially scaring him off. Or they might figure out why Wyatt was after them and put out a hit on Serena or Luigi. He couldn't take that chance.
Reluctantly, Wyatt concluded that waiting was his only viable option to find those responsible—a realization he despised.
After deciding to get some rest, he sat down and closed his eyes.
Sleep, however, eluded him that night.
••o••o••o••
After helping to clean and reorganize the pillaged restaurant throughout the morning, Wyatt said goodbye to Serena and Luigi before heading out on patrol. Before he left, he made sure to tell Serena to call him if anyone suspicious came around.
Although Serena was unsure of what he could do, she agreed nonetheless. She was too emotionally and physically exhausted to argue with Wyatt.
As soon as he left, Wyatt, now dressed as Atomic, flew around the entirety of New York, eager to find any ongoing crimes or threats. Unfortunately, wherever he went, there was a severe lack of crime, much to his chagrin.
"Where the hell are the crimes when you want them?!" Atomic growled, his irritation growing as he continued his patrol.
He couldn't help but feel as if fate and New York had it out for him that morning. That was until he finally found a hooded man pickpocketing wallets in Washington Square Park. In a flash, Atomic descended and grabbed the man with a large glowing construct. It wrapped itself around the man's torso tightly and lifted him in the air.
"W-what the hell?! I-I can't breathe!" The man cried loudly. The people down below watched in shock and listened as the man slowly began to choke as Atomic squeezed.
"H-hey! You got him!" Someone cried out, snapping Atomic out of his trance.
Atomic blinked and immediately released his tight grip on the man, finally allowing him to take a deep breath. Atomic then turned to look at the confused and anxious expressions on the faces of the pedestrians below.
"I'm… sorry," Atomic said and dropped the thief to the ground. The wallets he had stolen fell around him.
In a flash, Atomic flew away.
••o••o••o••
Gwen Stacy hummed to herself as she grabbed a chemistry book. After examining its contents, she smiled and placed it on top of the growing stack in her hands. After adjusting her glasses, she carried the large pile over to a free table.
Gwen had always loved the library, with the New York Public Library being her favorite place to visit. There, she found an endless supply of books to read and study, which was one of her favorite pastimes.
With a small smile, she opened one of her books and began reading. Time seemed to fly by as she absorbed the information on each page. She was only pulled out of her reading trance when someone dropped an even larger pile of books on the table behind her.
Turning around, Gwen took in the boy's appearance. He was tall for his age, with unruly reddish-brown hair and vibrant green eyes. His outfit consisted of a red and white hoodie and jeans. What stuck out to her about his appearance were the dark bags under his eyes.
Curious, Gwen looked over his choice of literature. All the books he had picked out were quite advanced, particularly for someone who looked like he was in his freshman or even sophomore year of high school. The books seemed more suited for seniors in advanced placement classes.
At first, she thought he might just be trying to look smart with such advanced titles. However, when she saw him breeze through the books at unbelievable speeds, she sighed and shook her head.
Instead of trying to look smart, he should try some of the introductory books. Gwen thought. As she was about to turn back to her own studies, she paused as the boy spoke in a barely audible whisper.
Gwen was astounded. The boy wasn't even looking at his book, yet he was discussing concepts she was just beginning to grasp! His adept note-taking in his notebook only reinforced her impression that he truly comprehended the material that he was speed-reading.
He looks barely older than me. How can he study at such speeds? Gwen thought, her mouth unconsciously agape. In her distraction, her hand accidentally slipped, causing her stack of books to drop unceremoniously.
Wyatt frowned and turned around to see Gwen panicking as she hurried to pick up her books. Without pause, he got up to help her.
"Here, let me help," Wyatt said, glancing at Gwen's outfit.
She wore a red, almost orange hoodie and a matching headband. A pair of glasses perched on her nose, and plain purple pants hung loosely around her legs. To Wyatt, she looked like a typical library nerd; still, he thought she had a cute face and bright blue eyes.
"Ah, no. It's okay," Gwen said, but it didn't stop Wyatt from assisting her. Once they had piled her books back on the table, Wyatt picked up her chemistry book.
"Ah, this one's a good read. I struggled a bit with the section on Schrödinger's equation and the section over wave function, but you just have to refer back to chapter 35 and reread paragraph three for it all to click," Wyatt said before blinking. "Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"No! It's fine, really! I sorta skipped that part because I couldn't wrap my head around it," Gwen admitted as she flipped through the book. Following Wyatt's suggestion, her eyes widened with understanding. "You were right! That's amazing!"
"Not really. That's one of the easier concepts to grasp. Once you tackle quantum molecules and atoms, you'll face bigger challenges," Wyatt said with a slight smile. "I'm Wyatt, by the way."
"Gwen Stacy," she replied, shaking his hand. She couldn't help but notice that his tired eyes grew wide for a moment. "Are you okay? You look exhausted."
"Fine. I'm fine. I just didn't get much sleep," he said, rubbing one of his eyes.
"Were you studying all night or something?" Gwen asked.
"No, nothing like that. I just couldn't catch any Z's," Wyatt replied with a smile. "Would you... like some help going over the material? If you need it, that is."
"Really? You wouldn't mind? I'd hate to take you away from your own work."
"It's not a problem. I'd love to help you," Wyatt said with a small smile.
However, the events from that afternoon were still plaguing his mind. The way he had pressed down on the petty thief's chest and the looks people had given him was frozen in his memory.
Wyatt had gone overboard and almost seriously hurt a man who didn't deserve such a punishment. To distract himself, he decided to head to the library and read to take his mind off everything.
He certainly didn't expect to run into Gwen Stacy of all people at the library.
However, upon reflection, he recalled seeing Gwen at library on several occasions. Studying and minding her own business as she delved deep into her studies.
"Well, okay. As long as you're sure," Gwen smiled as Wyatt picked up his stack of books and sat beside her.
The two ended up studying together throughout the afternoon until the skies began to darken. Gwen enjoyed her time with Wyatt immensely; he had a knack for explaining the topics she struggled with and often cracked jokes that made her laugh. He reminded her of Peter at times.
Eventually, the library had to close, ending their very productive study session. Outside, Gwen and Wyatt stood on the steps, watching people move in and out and as cars drove by.
"That was fun. Thanks for helping me," Gwen said, her hands clutching the straps of her backpack. "There aren't that many people who I can discuss such complex topics. Would you, I don't know, want to do this again?"
"Yeah, I get what you mean. But yeah, I wouldn't mind," Wyatt said with a smile. "Friends?"
"Yeah, friends!" Gwen smiled, happy to have made a new friend that shared her interest in knowledge and books.
Just then, a black Ford Explorer pulled up in front of the library. A man in a blue suit with gray hair stepped out and turned to Gwen before looking at Wyatt. His eyes widened momentarily, but he quickly composed himself.
Oh, crap! I forgot Gwen's father is a police captain!Maybe… he doesn't know about me? Wyatt thought with a shaky smile.
"Gwen. How did your studying go?" Captain George Stacy asked as he approached his daughter and Wyatt. His tall and professional posture made Wyatt shift back slightly.
"It went great! Dad, this is Wyatt. A new friend of mine. He helped me with some of the harder subjects," Gwen said.
"Is that so? Hello there, Wyatt. I'm Captain George Stacy. It's nice to meet you," George said, extending his hand. Wyatt quickly shook it.
"Wyatt Wilkins. It's nice to meet you, Captain Stacy," Wyatt replied.
"Thank you for helping my daughter. It's always hard for her to find someone to talk to about her academics," George added with a teasing smile at his daughter.
"That's not true! There's Peter and... uh,"
"See?" George chuckled. "We better head home, Gwen. Your mother made tilapia florentine. Would you care to join us, Wyatt?"
"Uh, I actually have to go meet someone soon, so I can't. Thank you for the offer, Captain Stacy," Wyatt said carefully.
George nodded, unbothered by Wyatt's refusal. Gwen, on the other hand, looked slightly disappointed. After saying their goodbyes, Gwen and her father left.
As they drove off, Gwen suddenly gasped and hugged her backpack in frustration. "No… I forgot to ask him for his number."
George chuckled at his daughter's antics.
So that's Wyatt Wilkins. He seems like a good kid... Still, I'll keep an eye on him for now, especially if he and Gwen are going to be spending more time together. George thought.
Back with Wyatt, he let out a loud sigh of relief and began walking away from the library. As he turned the corner onto a darker, more isolated street, he looked down the road and froze at the sight before him.
Ben Parker stood in front of an old yellow Honey Beige 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88, hands at his sides. In front of him stood an anxious man holding a pistol.
"Just give me the car, old man!" the man yelled, raising his gun. "Now!"
——
AN: If you can guess which Gwen Stacy I described, you can guess what Spider-Man continuity I'm using. But with some of my own deviations.