OMNI VOL2 C2

Ben leaned back in his chair, resting his elbow on the table as he stirred his coffee absentmindedly. Across from him, Gwen took a small bite of her pastry, a thoughtful expression on her face as she skimmed through some notes on her phone. The café buzzed with life around them—soft chatter, the clinking of cups, and the hiss of the espresso machine filling the air.

"This is nice," Gwen said, finally looking up at Ben. "A break from all the science talk."

Ben smirked, setting his spoon down. "Oh? You mean you don't enjoy discussing battery cell efficiency over coffee?"

Gwen chuckled. "Not when you're the one rambling for an hour straight."

Ben scoffed playfully. "First of all, I wasn't rambling. I was educating. Second, that's rich coming from the girl who spent half an hour explaining the exact molecular structure of an experimental polymer."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Touché."

Ben was about to throw in another quip when he noticed Gwen's gaze shift slightly, her brows furrowing. A ripple of murmurs spread across the café like a slow-moving wave, drawing his attention to his surroundings.

He glanced around and noticed people turning toward the large TV mounted on the wall. Some had paused mid-conversation, their eyes fixed on the screen. Others whispered in hushed, urgent tones, pointing toward the broadcast.

Ben turned his chair slightly and followed their gaze to the news playing on the screen. The footage showed a chaotic scene in the streets of New York—flashes of electricity sparking wildly, a metallic figure soaring through the air, and a red-and-blue blur swinging between buildings. The news banner at the bottom of the screen read:

"BREAKING NEWS: OSCORP BREAK-IN – SPIDER-MAN IN PURSUIT OF UNKNOWN HOSTILES"

Ben narrowed his eyes, watching the live feed. The camera panned over five figures moving through the streets.

One of them, dressed in an armored flight suit with massive mechanical wings, swooped low, dodging Spider-Man's webbing.

Another, covered in thick, reinforced plating with a massive horned helmet, charged through police barricades with brute strength.

Sparks of electric energy crackled around a man's body as he leaped from a streetlamp, bolts of lightning arcing from his fingertips.

A fourth figure, shrouded in a sleek green exosuit with a large, segmented tail curling behind him, clung to the side of a building.

And leading them was a man in a high-tech suit with a fishbowl-like helmet, surrounded by eerie, swirling illusions.

Ben's frown deepened. He had never seen these guys before—not in any of the movies, at least. His mind raced. This world's Spider-Man was older… so maybe things had played out differently here.

Gwen, still staring at the screen, exhaled sharply and muttered, "New York is getting crazier by the day… criminals, aliens, monsters, superpowered people… and now this?"

Ben turned back to her, tilting his head slightly. "You don't like Knight and Spider-Man?"

Gwen quickly shook her head. "No, it's not that. I know they're fighting for good… or at least, that's how they seem. But my dad—" she hesitated, biting her lip before continuing, "—he sees things differently."

Ben leaned forward, curious. "How so?"

She sighed. "He thinks vigilantism, no matter the intentions, is dangerous. That it sets a precedent—people taking the law into their own hands, acting without accountability. And with all these criminals running around, he believes masked heroes are just escalating things."

Ben nodded slowly. "It's his job. He has to answer to his superiors and keep order."

Gwen looked down at her coffee, stirring it absently. "Yeah. I get that… but sometimes, I wonder if he's wrong."

But sometimes, I wonder…if people like Spider-Man and Knight weren't around, would things actually be better? Or would criminals just have a free pass?"

Ben tapped his fingers on the table, watching the screen as Spider-Man swung past an explosion. "That's the thing, isn't it? Even without them, crime would still exist. It might even be worse because there'd be no one to push back against these guys."

Gwen nodded slowly but then tilted her head. "Still…why the hell would criminals break into Oscorp? If they wanted money, hitting a bank would make way more sense."

Ben smirked. "Yeah, because when I think of criminals, I think of investment portfolios and safe withdrawals. Maybe they were looking for a loan?"

Gwen rolled her eyes, laughing. "Right, because banks just love giving out loans to supervillains."

Ben shrugged. "Hey, maybe they just have bad credit scores."

Ben didn't say anything right away, his gaze drifting back to the screen where Spider-Man was still fighting. His gut told him this was more than just a simple break-in.

"Why would criminals break into Oscorp?" Gwen mused aloud. "It'd make sense if they hit a bank… but a research facility?" 

She playfully nudged his arm. "Or maybe, just maybe, whatever they wanted from Oscorp was way more valuable than money."

Ben's smirk faded as he considered her words. That's actually a good point. If they weren't after cash, then what was in Oscorp that was worth the risk of breaking in? Something valuable. Maybe something dangerous.

His mind started turning, piecing together possibilities. He didn't know much about this world's Oscorp, but if it was anything like the one in the movies or comics, there were plenty of shady experiments happening behind the scenes. He made a mental note to look into it later.

Ben scoffed. "Yeah, what's next? Supervillains robbing grocery stores for rare avocados?"

Gwen smirked. "Or storming a toy store for exclusive limited-edition collectibles?"

Ben leaned back, crossing his arms. "Honestly, if I had to pick between breaking into a bank and breaking into Oscorp, I'd pick the bank. Way fewer angry scientists to deal with."

Gwen chuckled, but her expression remained thoughtful. "Whatever it is, they wanted something important… and I don't think they plan on stopping anytime soon."

Ben had the same feeling. And he didn't like it.

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