185

Chapter 188: I Can Do the Same Thing

As Gwen saw the figure on the rooftop, her heart raced. Could it be anyone but Peter, masked as Carnage?

She cautiously approached, whispering tentatively, "Peter?"

This time, Peter didn't evade. The starry mask faded, revealing his face.

"Gwen, it's me..."

He began to explain but stopped short as Gwen leaped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"It's really you!"

Gwen buried her face in his chest, soaking in the familiar warmth she thought she'd lost.

"All the worries seem trivial now," she murmured.

Peter held her close, letting her take her time.

"I missed you so much," Gwen confessed, looking up at Peter with teary eyes that refused to look away.

"I missed you too, Gwen," Peter replied softly.

"Nonsense!" Gwen pulled away, removing her mask and wrinkling her nose. "If you missed me, why didn't you come to see me sooner?"

She gestured at the Carnage suit he wore, puzzled. "And why... Carnage? Why did you turn against Mr. Stark and everyone, becoming our enemy? Where were you these past six months? I saw you captured by strangers that day..."

Gwen hugged him again, fear and relief mixing in her voice. "I thought I'd lost you, Peter."

Peter gently stroked her head. "It's okay, I'm back now, problem baby."

Gwen searched his eyes for answers, realizing how much Peter had changed during those six months he vanished.

Peter smiled thoughtfully. "I won't lie to you, Gwen, but some things are hard to explain right now."

Gwen didn't press further. Instead, she asked tentatively, "Can I still trust you? Are you still the same Peter?"

"Of course, I'm still me."

"That's all I need to hear." Gwen smiled softly. "I remember when we were on this rooftop, just after I became Spider-Woman. I was so confused about balancing heroics and normal life. You stayed with me, gave me time..."

She turned to face Peter, hands behind her back, shy but earnest. "So, I think I can do the same for you."

Peter hugged her again. "You're amazing, my dear."

"Am I too easy to handle?"

"Thank you for the privilege."

Gwen blushed at the compliment but then remembered something. They parted, and she asked worriedly, "By the way, Miss Phantom... How is the symbiote on my body?"

Peter pulled out small jars. "Don't worry, they're safe. They'll be weakened for a while. After this is over, I'll send them back to their own universe."

He had saved them from Carnage's fate while absorbing them.

Gwen opened the jar containing Phantom. The symbiote seemed subdued but alive, crawling onto Gwen's finger and reconnecting with her.

"Gwen, what's going on?" Phantom's voice echoed in her mind, still disoriented.

"It's okay, Miss Phantom. You're safe," Gwen reassured her gently.

"And Carnage..." Gwen hesitated, glancing at Peter beside her. "Carnage is... Peter now."

"What?" Phantom was incredulous, struggling to comprehend.

"I believe him, Miss Phantom."

"... "

With that, Phantom was speechless. Gwen turned to Peter, asking, "What do we do now?"

She naturally included him in her plans.

Peter looked ahead, indicating nothing visible. "Someone took advantage of our moment and struck first."

"Our moment..." Gwen blushed. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind." Peter chuckled softly, still holding her close. "Let's go."

"Oh... okay."

Confused but trusting Peter, Gwen observed their surroundings as they moved swiftly.

From the bustling city to the quiet suburbs in an instant?

She glanced at Peter for an explanation.

"You'll understand soon."

"Oh..."

Gwen resigned herself to the mystery and surveyed their new location carefully.

They seemed to be atop a prison?

The main building roof offered a skewed skylight view into its interior.

Gwen peered inside.

Was that... a church?

She couldn't believe it—a church within a prison? Yet there it was, with a colossal statue on the altar.

How bizarre.

Inside, two figures confronted each other. Gwen recognized them immediately.

One was Tony Stark. Peter's "first-runner" was likely Tony.

Why was Mr. Stark here alone at this hour? What about the symbiote?

Her gaze shifted to the other figure—a bald man she knew as the criminal kingpin, Kingpin.

No way...