Gwen beamed when Peter called her beautiful, but she quickly shook her head. "Let's be serious," she said. "I woke up this morning and my body had completely changed. I'm much stronger, and my hands and feet... they can stick to things. Have I turned into a monster?"
To demonstrate, Gwen placed her palm flat on the table, concentrated for a moment, and then lifted her hand. The entire table lifted with it, stuck fast to her palm.
Peter played along. "Wow, Gwen! You're so strong!"
Gwen rolled her eyes at him. "Peter, be serious!"
Peter scratched his head. "I could see you were nervous. I just wanted to lighten the mood." He then adopted a more thoughtful expression. "It really is a superpower. Your abilities are very similar to a spider's. Gwen, can you spin webs?"
"Peter! I just have superpowers, I didn't become a spider-freak!" Gwen shot back, but his playful teasing had worked. She felt her anxiety lessen, and she was no longer so worried.
Peter continued, "Panicking won't solve anything, Gwen. It will only make things worse. We need to calmly analyze the situation. I have a feeling your new abilities might be related to that spider from yesterday."
"The spider? That seems likely," Gwen admitted. "Peter, can you check the wound on the back of my neck for me?" She turned around, lifting her blonde hair so Peter could get a clear view.
Peter leaned in. The bite mark that had been so obvious yesterday was completely gone, without even a scar remaining. "That's strange," he said, confused. "The wound is gone."
"Gone? Could it be because of my mutation?" Gwen guessed.
"It's possible. Your physical fitness has improved so much that your healing ability probably has too. By the way, I still have that spider. Let's take a look at it." Peter retrieved a glass bottle from his bookshelf. Inside was the spider that had bitten Gwen.
Inside the Marvel building, Leon came off the training floor, grabbing a bottle of water and chugging it down. Piotr walked down beside him, letting out a sigh. "Leon, you're worthy of your reputation as a secret agent. You are really good."
Leon lowered the water bottle. "Piotr, you're the monster. We've been training for hours, and you haven't even broken a sweat."
"I'm a mutant. My abilities enhance my physical fitness to a certain degree. It's not a fair comparison," Piotr replied. "But Leon, your ability is truly incredible. Several times, I was about to land a hit, but you managed to dodge because of some freak accident. That power is practically cheating!"
"Haha, same to you!" Leon said modestly, though he couldn't hide the proud curve of his lips. He hadn't even shown the full extent of his abilities yet.
The two left the training area together, heading for the lounge. On the way, Piotr said, "Leon, at your current level, you'll be able to become a full member of our team in no time."
"I feel like I don't even need to train anymore. I could take on the role right now," Leon said arrogantly, lacing his hands behind his head.
Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught something on a nearby wall. It looked like it was covered in mirrors. "Piotr," he asked, confused, "was there a mirror there before?"
"A mirror?" Piotr followed his gaze and noticed the new addition as well.
The two walked closer. Leon examined the ornate silver mirror. The intricate patterns on its frame were unusually captivating, inlaid with various exotic gems. The decorations on either side of the mirror were shaped like a pair of eyes.
"Is this an antique? It looks quite old," Leon remarked. Out of curiosity, he tapped the mirror's surface with the back of his hand. To his surprise, the surface rippled like water. He quickly retracted his hand, afraid he had damaged it.
Words began to form on the mirror's surface: "I am the all-knowing Arrodes. You may ask me a question."
"So it's a magic mirror toy. I've wanted to play with one of these since I was a kid," Leon said excitedly. "A question... let me think." He struck a classic thinking pose. "Ah, I know! When did you appear on this wall?"
An image materialized on the mirror's surface. The perspective was from high above, looking down, giving the person in the image a strong sense of presence. The figure walked down the corridor and stopped where Leon and Piotr were now standing. The perspective then lowered to a normal height, revealing a young man wearing a monocle.
"So that's the mirror's perspective. I was wondering why it felt so strange," Leon realized.
"So it was Amon who put it here," Piotr whispered.
"Amon? Who's that?" Leon asked, tilting his head.
"My brother," Piotr replied. "He's also the owner of this company."
Leon's eyes lit up as if he had discovered a new continent. "Piotr, I didn't realize you had connections! You'll have to look out for me from now on!"
The image in the mirror wasn't finished. A string of numbers appeared: eight thirty-two.
"Is that the time it was placed here? It's quite smart," Leon exclaimed. The scene ended, and the mirror returned to its rippling state, new words appearing.
"In accordance with the principle of equivalent exchange, you must now answer a question for me. If you answer incorrectly or lie, you will be punished."
"There's a punishment? They even made the word 'punishment' red. How interesting. What's the punishment? A pay cut?" Leon was completely unfazed, still joking with Piotr.
Piotr, however, knew Amon's handiwork. He had a bad feeling Leon was in trouble.
Another line of text appeared on Arrodes's surface. "Leon Jones. One year ago, an accident led you to meet S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agent, Black Widow. Attracted by her beauty and skills, you joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Now, tell me: have you ever fantasized about being ravaged by Black Widow in bed?"
Leon's eyes widened as he read the words. "How do you know that? No, wait, why should I answer a question like that?"
"Refusing to answer or lying will result in punishment," another line appeared.
"No! And I didn't join S.H.I.E.L.D. because of Black Widow! I joined to be a hero!" Leon denied it vehemently, trying to save face.
"I'm sorry, that is the wrong answer. You lied."
"There must be something wrong with this mirror. I'm not that kind of person! Ha, ha ha..." Leon forced a laugh, but before he could finish, a bolt of lightning shot out of nowhere and struck him.
His last thought before blacking out was, I clearly redistributed my luck... so why did I still get hit?
Piotr stared in astonishment at Leon, who was now lying on the ground, his hair smoking. "Amon is playing a dangerous game," he muttered. "I hope he doesn't die." He checked Leon's injuries and saw they were only superficial. The kid would wake up eventually. "He's got a pretty tough physique."
Picking up the unconscious Leon, Piotr carried him toward the infirmary. The reason Leon was struck by lightning was simple: the entire company, save for a few individuals, was comprised of Amon's clones. They were beyond the influence of Leon's power. He had only succeeded in distributing an illusion of luck.
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