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Dante looked over his shoulder. Gwen Stacy pushed through the door. Her hasty ponytail had strands escaping and framing her face. Dark circles under her eyes seemed more prominent than yesterday, coming from too many sleepless nights and too much stress.
Her gaze darted around the restaurant with frantic energy. When she spotted Felicia, visible relief washed across her features. She rushed over and dropped into the seat beside Felicia.
Felicia reached out and brushed a strand of hair from Gwen's face. "You look like hell, sweetheart."
"You don't say…" Gwen grabbed Felicia's Diet Coke and downed the entire glass in long gulps. She slammed the empty glass down, dragged the back of her hand across her mouth, and exhaled an audible sigh of satisfaction. "That was great…"
"I'm sure it was."
Gwen's face flushed as her mind caught up with the impulsive action. "I'm so sorry. My throat was too dry—I'll buy you another one."
"Relax, sweetie." Felicia waved it off with a laugh. "You needed it more."
Gwen shook her head, still mortified. "Anyway, why did you—" Her entire body went rigid as she finally registered who occupied the other side of the table. "You… since when were you here?"
"Since forever," Dante said, keeping his tone friendly. "You look stressed as hell. Bad day at university?"
"No, it's just some problems at home." The lie rolled off her tongue smoothly without so much as batting an eye.
For someone who had just become a superhero, Gwen had mastered the basics of keeping a secret identity remarkably fast. It was quite impressive.
Gwen angled her entire body toward Felicia, deliberately positioning herself to keep Dante in peripheral vision. "Why did you call me here?"
The subtle fidgeting, the way her left foot tapped the floor, and the tension in her shoulders. To anyone watching, she would appear as an awkward introvert out of her comfort zone.
But Dante knew he was the cause of her anxiety even without her eyes flicking towards him, then away, like a rabbit watching a wolf and trying to decide if running would make things worse.
Even Felicia noticed Gwen's strange behavior. She glanced between them with a frown. "Okay, what am I missing here? Do you two have history or something?"
"No." Dante tapped the table to get Gwen's attention. "Miss Stacy, I need someone who understands molecular biology at an advanced level."
Gwen leaned back slightly, crossing her arms defensively. "Is this a formal offer from your... enterprise?"
He shook his head. "A personal request for someone who usually swings by Oscorp Island. Not for someone begging for mercy on their knees like a defeated criminal."
Shock flickered across her features as she understood the reference to their last meeting, when he was about to execute that small-time Maggia leader.
Her hands balled into fists under the glass table. Her jaw clenched hard enough to make her cheek twitch.
"What are you talking about?" She spoke with feigned composure. "You should ask Harry about Oscorp matters."
"Anything more specific will expose your secret to Felicia." Dante's lips curved into a calm smile as he gestured toward the platinum-haired burglar. "Unless you want that?"
Giving away her identity would brand him as 'untrustworthy' in Gwen's eyes forever. He needed her cooperation, which meant playing this delicate game.
Felicia's head swiveled between them. "Darling, what are you up to with these riddles? Just speak plainly."
Gwen pivoted toward Felicia with an awkward smile. "Felicia, can you... go to the washroom for a minute? Please? I need to talk to him. It's important. Like, really, really important."
Felicia glanced at Dante, one eyebrow raised in a silent question: "You want me to leave?"
Dante nodded. "Please."
Felicia stared at him for a few seconds then stood with an exaggerated sigh. "Darling, kicking your old thing for the shiny new thing isn't right. This isn't how you treat people who care about you."
She clutched her tablet to her chest and walked toward the exit.
Conflicting emotions crashed through Dante's chest. On one hand, he recognized her manipulation tactic. Felicia tried to guilt-trip him into revealing Gwen's secret later, using the wounded look to tug on his conscience. On the other hand, she would've felt that she was not properly treated as his ally. Anyone would think the same in her situation.
'It's impossible to win against her. She truly is my archnemesis.'
"How did you figure it out?" Frustration made Gwen's voice crack. "I made my voice deeper, huskier. I changed the way I move and carry myself. I've been so careful. How did you—?"
"I just knew."
She slapped the table, making plates rattle. "You can't just 'know' my biggest secret! That's not how this works!"
"But I do."
Gwen groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Please keep it to yourself…"
Her act had earned Dante hostile looks from everyone in the restaurant, believing he had made the blonde cry.
Dante took Gwen's hand. "Can you stop acting miserably?"
She gave him a pleading look. "I'm a pitiful girl… I don't have money, I'm not as pretty as Felicia, and I've nothing else valuable except my superpowers. You won't gain anything from me… please keep my secret to yourself…"
She opted to earn his pity because the alternative way to shut his mouth was through violence. Could she fight the man who made her legs tremble with his sheer presence? Obviously not. She wasn't that type of person either.
"Relax." Dante kept his voice gentle. "I don't have any bad intentions toward you."
"Said every bad guy ever. They use the 'Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you' right before everything goes to hell." Gwen rolled her eyes, returning to her usual self when she couldn't convince him with pity. "What's the price for keeping your mouth shut? Just say it."
"The monsters you fought at the bank—I need your help creating a chemical solution to neutralize them."
Dante laid out the symbiote situation in all its terrible scope. An army of specimens, potentially hundreds, being distributed to the worst criminals in New York City. He kept Norman Osborn and Oscorp's name out of it. Harry Osborn was still Gwen's friend, after all. No need to force her to choose sides before absolutely necessary, but he didn't sugarcoat the threat level.
Gwen's face went progressively paler as he talked. "I barely defeated two," she whispered. "And they got away. I couldn't stop them… How will we stop that many? Is it even possible?"
"Do you want to give up?"
The straightforward question and his provocative smirk had the intended effect of lighting a fire in her eyes.
"Impossible. I'd have given up if I were an ordinary girl, but with these powers…" She took a deep breath to gather herself. "I have a responsibility to help others. To use what I can do for something good… Corny, right? You can laugh."
Dante just chuckled.
Gwen crossed her arms and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "I know what you're thinking. Go ahead and say it. Say I'm doing this for an ego boost, playing the hero to make myself feel special, or using the mask to feed my violent urges like the menace I am."
"Are you?"
"No!" She threw both hands up in a time-out gesture, then stood abruptly before marching to the counter. Minutes later, she returned a minute later clutching a cappuccino and a receipt. "We'll work together against these lab monsters. And you'll never ever mention my secret. Deal?"
"I should keep your secret, yeah."
"You SHOULD?!" Gwen slammed the now half-empty cup on the table, splashing the drink everywhere. "No, you must. My life depends on it. If anyone finds out, I'm so done. That newspaper guy, J. Jonah Jameson will crucify me publicly."
"Ohhh…. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
"Not reassuring when you grin like that!" Gwen said with an exaggerated slump like she was tired of dealing with him. "And for the record, I won't kill anyone. We're saving people, not massacring them. It's non-negotiable."
"But I'm a merciful man."
"Yeah, very merciful." The sarcasm dripped from every word. "Those five guys at Oscorp definitely remember your mercy. Oh wait, they can't, because they're freaking dead."
He shrugged. "They shot first. I only acted to protect myself and my employer's interests."
Gwen opened her mouth to retort, visibly struggled to find words, then closed it again and waved her hand dismissively. "Forget it. I'll never win this argument… When do we start this project?"
"Before we officially collaborate, one question—are you uncomfortable with Felicia knowing your secret identity?"
"Absolutely not!" Her answer was instant. "Why would you even suggest that?"
"She's also helping me with this operation. Also, don't underestimate her. She can give you serious trouble without any superpowers."
Gwen's expression shifted as she mentally reassessed Felicia. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Still no. We attend the same university. It's way too risky."
"Have it your way." He sighed before shaking his head in disappointment. "It's out of bounds to suggest it anyway. Why did I think Miss Gwen would appreciate having people around who understand being... different?"
Gwen flicked a coin at his chest. It bounced off and clinked on the table. "I don't even trust you yet. You literally just blackmailed me into cooperation."
"Fair point."
She crushed the empty cup. "Give me a text when you need me at the lab. Still not sure if I'll actually be helpful with the chemistry, but I'll try."
Gwen left after paying for everything, including his earlier order. Meanwhile, Felicia still hadn't returned. He didn't find her waiting outside either, so he dialed her number. It rang multiple times before going to voicemail. Moments later, a text appeared.
[Felicia: Something came up. Emergency. I'll see you later.]
The absence of her usual affectionate "Darling" or cat emojis raised a red flag. Felicia never dropped her playful persona unless something truly serious demanded her attention. The second red flag was that she chose to leave on foot or through a cab instead of just getting the keys to Piotr's bike.
He stared at the message, unable to shake off the uneasiness in his chest.
'Can't leave her alone.'
***
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