Chapter 99: Father and Daughter

Stepping off the crowded subway, Gwen walked home in silence, completely unaware that she was being watched.

All along the way, her mind kept drifting back to the past.

Peter had been placed in her home when he was five, fostered by her family. The two of them had grown up together, becoming the best of friends.

They were childhood companions.

They were supposed to grow up side by side. Even if life took them in different directions, they would still come together like family—celebrating Christmas, carving the holiday turkey together.

Until everything changed.

Peter died.

Wearing her Spider-Woman suit, she had been "witnessed" by her own father as the one who killed Peter, forever branding her as a murderer.

Climbing the fire escape up to her home, Gwen hesitated for a moment when she saw a familiar figure through the window. Her hand, which had been resting on the glass, stilled.

She didn't know how to face him.

The man she both loved and hated.

He was kind, brave, and good—a model police captain in New York. But he was also the one who had "witnessed" Spider-Woman killing Peter Parker.

That moment had sent her life spiraling into the abyss.

"Sigh..." With a soft exhale, Gwen finally pushed open the window and climbed inside.

"You're back?" The man asked without turning around. "How was your exam?"

"Uh, it was fine," Gwen replied, forcing a casual tone. "I quit the band."

With that, she pushed open the door to her bedroom and stepped inside.

She had no idea how to talk to her father.

George Stacy took a few steps toward her door, watching her retreating figure. "There's been a breakthrough in the Spider-Woman case."

Gwen froze for a moment before replying, "Oh. That's good."

George stepped closer. "I think we need to talk."

Gwen didn't respond. To be more precise, she didn't know how to respond—at least, not when it came to talking about Spider-Woman.

Seeing her silence, George continued, "Gwen, I think it would be good for both of us."

"Well, I don't think so," Gwen finally muttered after a long pause.

George assumed his daughter was still grieving the loss of her best friend.

He knew how much she and Peter had meant to each other. Even he himself had regarded Peter as almost a son.

Since Peter's "murder" at the hands of Spider-Woman, his once vibrant daughter had withdrawn into herself. She had even quit the rock band she used to love.

Naturally, he linked the two events together.

And it worried him deeply.

What he didn't know was that there was indeed a connection between them—just not the one he imagined.

"But she killed your friend," George pressed, relying on his years of experience as a police officer. Something felt off about Gwen, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

"Did you actually see it?" Gwen asked without turning around.

"Of course! She was right there! Then she ran—she fled the scene!" George insisted.

Gwen struggled to defend herself. "Maybe she had no choice but to run?"

"But it's my job," George countered.

"Fine!" Gwen suddenly shouted. "But that won't bring him back!"

George opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He felt like he had just made everything worse.

What was supposed to be a "good talk" had turned into a terrible argument.

After a long silence, he finally found his words again. "I don't want to argue, okay? I just think that maybe, just this once, you could let your father—"

Before he could finish, a figure crashed into his arms, holding him tightly.

George Stacy froze for a moment before realizing what had happened and wrapped his daughter in a firm embrace.

Feeling the warmth of her father's arms, Gwen's heart gradually calmed.

Her thoughts drifted to the man who had once promised to show her the many wonders of the world.

"I wonder where you are now... what you're doing?" she mused, closing her eyes.

[Emergency at the City Museum. Please respond immediately!]

Just then, the pager in George Stacy's pocket beeped, breaking the rare moment of warmth between father and daughter.

They released each other.

After offering Gwen a few reassuring words, George grabbed his coat and gun before heading out toward the City Museum.

Upstairs, Gwen watched as her father's car disappeared down the street. Then, she turned and went back to her room.

She wiped away the tears threatening to fall.

She pulled herself together.

Now, it was Spider-Gwen's turn to take the stage!

Whoosh!

A swift silhouette soared between the buildings of New York.

—

A few minutes later.

Gwen arrived atop a building near the City Museum.

The New York City Museum was a well-known landmark, located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 103rd/104th Street, dedicated to preserving the city's history.

Its collection boasted nearly three million artifacts dating from the Dutch colonial era to the present, ranging from toys to prints, ballrooms to theaters—an expansive and diverse array.

On the fifth floor, the Rockefeller Exhibition Room featured an opulent recreation of the old Rockefeller's master bedroom and dressing room.

Because of its significance and value, the museum was now completely surrounded.

Police cars, fire trucks, ambulances—police helicopters hovered overhead.

The entire museum was locked down.

"What's going on? Who's inside?" Gwen shifted angles several times, trying to peer inside through the museum's side windows, but she couldn't see anything.

Meanwhile, down on the street, George Stacy had just arrived.

As soon as he stepped out of the police car, an officer approached him with an update.

"You're saying there's some Renaissance-era-dressed weirdo inside the museum?" George Stacy asked, surprised.

The officer nodded and handed over a photograph. "Look, this was taken just moments ago."

George examined the image and saw a grayish-white man with a hooked nose—except he had no hands. Instead, a pair of wings extended from his back.

From the overall look, he resembled... a vulture!

Yes, a vulture!

But something was off—the material looked strange, almost as if he were made of paper.

"He—" George Stacy started to say something.

Suddenly—

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted.

A massive shockwave blasted from the museum, nearly knocking George Stacy and his officers off their feet.

Closer to the explosion, several officers were thrown into the air and landed hard on the ground—whether they were alive or dead remained uncertain.

(End of Chapter)

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