chapter seventee:
❛ detective skills ❜

(pretend this is more realistic-honestly need a live action spider-gwen)

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the reason i always say "please don't be a ghost reader" this isnt just because i want votes, i mean i do, but ive been writing on this app for 3 almost 4 years and it helps me stay motivated because that means people are reading my stuff. and unlike other people, they have so many views on their books and i know my writing isnt the best but i love to write and it just helps me stay motivated. and i know i unpublish and republish my chapters and i get thats really annoying

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Both Peter and Gwen stood side by side on the deck of the boat, their suits glistening under the afternoon sun as the waves lapped gently against the hull. Nick Fury, as stone-faced as ever, was at the helm, driving them across the water toward whatever mission lay ahead. The salty breeze tousled their hair, and a sense of anticipation hung in the air.

Fury glanced at Peter through the rearview mirror and handed him a sleek black box. "Stark left these for you," he said, his voice as gruff and no-nonsense as ever.

Peter's eyes widened in surprise as he took the box from Fury's hand. "Really?" he asked, almost in disbelief, a spark of excitement lighting up his features. His hands hovered over the box, taking a moment to process the fact that Tony Stark had left something behind specifically for him.

Meanwhile, Gwen's eyebrow arched beneath her mask as she crossed her arms. "Wow, nothing for me?" she said with a sarcastic edge, her words almost dripping with playful annoyance. It was all in good fun, but a hint of jealousy lingered in her tone.

Fury's glare shifted to Gwen, his eye narrowing in irritation. "He didn't meet you before you turned into a superhero," Fury snapped back, his voice sharp and cutting. He was never one to sugarcoat anything.

"Geez," Gwen muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes behind her mask. She wasn't entirely serious, but Fury's intensity always managed to catch her off guard.

Peter glanced between the two, feeling the tension but choosing to focus on the box in his hands. As he opened it, the soft hiss of the container revealed a pair of sleek, high-tech glasses. His eyes widened further, curiosity quickly giving way to awe.

"Those are fancy," Gwen remarked, leaning in slightly to get a better look.

Peter hesitated, his gaze shifting to Fury for an explanation. Fury, unbothered by Peter's questioning look, crossed his arms and spoke, "'Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.' Stark said you wouldn't get that because it's not a Star Wars reference."

Gwen snorted at that, a smirk tugging at her lips beneath the mask. "Classic Stark," she muttered, her amusement evident.

Peter shot her a look, more exasperated than angry, though he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. It wasn't the first time Stark's highbrow references went over his head, and it wouldn't be the last. But what really bothered him, in that moment, was how much Gwen was enjoying his discomfort.

"Me?" Peter said, suddenly realizing the significance of the moment. "Gwen, you're the detective here."

Gwen blinked, caught off guard by his sudden shift in focus. "Huh?"

Peter continued, his tone growing more earnest. "The moment you saw my notebook, you immediately knew I was Spider-Man. I thought you wanted to be a detective? You would be amazing at it."

Gwen shrugged, looking down at her feet. "Yeah, that's just a dream... can't really do that now since I'm a superhero." Her voice held a hint of resignation, like she was giving up on a part of herself.

Peter gave her a look, eyebrows furrowing in concern. "Gwen, of course you can. Did Barry Allen get to be a superhero and a CSI? Yes. So you can be a cop."

She shrugged again, her expression shifting to one of uncertainty. "I don't know, Peter. It just feels... complicated now."

Peter's heart sank a little at the thought. He understood the pressure that came with being a superhero, but he also knew Gwen was capable of so much more. "It doesn't have to be," he insisted, his voice firm but gentle. "You can do both. You can be a hero and chase your dreams. You just have to believe in yourself."

Gwen turned her head slightly to look at him, her expression softening. There was a flicker of hope in her eyes, but doubt still lingered. "I guess... I just don't want to let anyone down. Being a superhero is kind of a full-time job."

"Who says you can't balance both?" Peter countered, trying to keep the conversation light. "You're practically a walking testament to multitasking. You can fight crime and solve it, too!"

Gwen chuckled softly, the tension easing a bit. "Yeah, maybe you're right. But it's a lot to think about."

Before Peter could respond, Fury interrupted, steering the boat toward their destination with an air of purpose. The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the water, and in that moment, Peter felt a renewed sense of determination. They had each other's backs, and together, they could take on whatever challenges lay ahead-whether it was battling villains or finding a way to make their dreams a reality.

Peter, Gwen, and Nick Fury navigated through the dimly lit cave, the damp air filled with anticipation. The flickering overhead lights cast long shadows on the rocky walls, creating an eerie yet intriguing atmosphere. As they walked deeper into the cavern, the sounds of fingers tapping on keyboards and hushed conversations grew louder, signaling the presence of a makeshift operation hidden from the world.

"You can lose the mask, Peter," Nick Fury said, his voice steady and authoritative. He glanced back at the two young heroes, his expression serious. "Everyone here has seen you without it. Spider-Woman, keep it on. They don't know who you are, and you're still new to this. You don't want a lot of people to know you yet."

Peter hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of Fury's words, then nodded and peeled off his mask, revealing his familiar face. He looked over at Gwen, who adjusted her mask but kept it securely on. As they stepped further into the cavern, the glow of computer screens illuminated the space, revealing a group of people gathered around a circular table, their faces tense with focus.

"Over there, we have Maria Hill," Nick Fury pointed out, indicating a woman hunched over a laptop, typing furiously. Maria glanced up, her sharp eyes locking onto Peter and Gwen.

"Who's that?" Maria asked, her tone curious as she gestured toward Gwen.

"I'm Spider-Woman or the White Spider, whichever works," Gwen replied, forcing a smile despite the unsettling feeling growing within her. Maria stared at her for a moment, a blank expression on her face, and Gwen sighed, sensing a hint of skepticism.

"And this is Dimitri," Nick Fury continued, gesturing toward a guy in a leather jacket leaning casually against the wall, his demeanor relaxed but watchful.

As they stood in the cave, a knot of unease formed in Gwen's stomach. Something about the situation felt off, and her detective instincts were firing on all cylinders, urging her to stay alert.

"And this is Mr. Beck," Nick Fury concluded, and both Peter and Gwen stopped dead in their tracks.

When Mysterio turned around, Gwen felt a shiver run down her spine-her spidey sense tingled sharply at the sight of him. She bit her lip, trying to suppress her instinctual warning. Peter, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, curiosity etched across his features.

"Mysterio?" Peter asked, his brow furrowing in confusion and intrigue.

"Doesn't matter. It's just what my friends have been calling you," Mysterio replied smoothly, striding toward them with an outstretched hand. Peter stepped forward to shake it, but Gwen instinctively remained a step back, her guard up.

"Nice to meet you, White Spider," Mysterio said, his gaze landing on Gwen. She crossed her arms defensively, feeling an odd mix of suspicion and annoyance. "Nice to meet you too," she replied, her tone clipped as she tried to gauge his intentions.

Peter chuckled nervously, attempting to ease the palpable tension. "Don't mind her gruff attitude. She's like this with everyone," he said, waving his hand dismissively. Gwen rolled her eyes at his attempt to downplay her defensiveness, feeling a bit irritated.

"You both handled yourselves well out there today. I saw what you did with the towers. We could use someone like you two on my world," Mysterio said, walking back toward a circular table at the center of the room, his demeanor almost inviting.

"Thanks," Peter muttered, stepping closer to Gwen, who was now visibly uneasy.

"Did you say your world?" Gwen asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

"Mr. Beck is from Earth. Just not yours," Nick Fury explained, and Peter and Gwen exchanged bewildered glances.

"There are multiple realities. This is Earth Dimension 616. I'm from Earth 833," Mysterio elaborated, a smirk playing on his lips. Gwen's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What!?" she exclaimed, her mind racing to comprehend the implications.

"Sorry, you're saying there's a multiverse?" Peter echoed, shock evident on his face. "I thought that was only on TV shows like-the Flash?"

"Exactly!" Gwen interjected, her enthusiasm spilling over as she leaned forward, intrigued. "This changes how we understand the initial singularity. We're talking about an eternal inflation system."

"So nerdy, this one," Gwen teased, pointing at Peter with a smirk, but her playful tone couldn't mask the excitement building within her.

"Hey!" Peter protested, lightly smacking her arm while trying to keep a straight face. "How does that even work with all the quantum-?"

"Rambling," Gwen interrupted with a laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Noted," Peter replied, a mock-serious expression crossing his face as he tried to contain his own laughter.

"This is insane," Peter said, his voice filled with awe as he turned to Nick Fury, who watched him with a glare that could slice through steel.

"Sorry. It's really cool," he quickly apologized, turning back to Mysterio with newfound curiosity.

"Don't ever apologize for being the smartest one in the room," Mysterio told him, a grin spreading across his face.

Peter's grin widened at the compliment, his confidence clearly boosted. Gwen couldn't help but smile as well, though her mind was still racing with questions about this mysterious man and the potential dangers that lurked within the multiverse. The atmosphere in the cave buzzed with possibilities, and despite her gut feeling, she felt a flicker of excitement for the adventures that lay ahead.

"Anyway..." Maria spoke, her voice slicing through the tension as she activated a holographic simulation on the table. The hologram illuminated the dark cave with a swirling whirlpool of colors, pulsing like a heartbeat.

"They were born in stable orbits within black holes," Mysterio began, his voice steady as he gestured toward the projection. As he spoke, the hologram morphed into detailed images of the four Elementals-each one representing the primary elements: air, water, fire, and earth. "Creatures formed from the primary elements."

Gwen's eyebrows shot up in surprise, her curiosity piqued. "Versions of them exist across our mythologies," Maria added, her expression serious, the weight of their words hanging heavily in the air.

"Turns out the myths are real," Mysterio confirmed, his tone almost reverent. He seemed to relish this revelation, standing tall and confident as he shared the information.

"Like Thor," Gwen interjected, her mind racing with the implications. It was one thing to read about heroes in comic books, but to be standing here, discussing the reality of mythological creatures, was another.

Peter nodded in agreement, his excitement bubbling over. "Thor was a myth. Now I study him in my physics class," he said, the nerdy enthusiasm shining through his voice.

Nick Fury stepped forward, his expression grave, cutting through their moment of wonder. "These myths are threats. They first materialized on my Earth many years ago. We mobilized and fought them, but with each battle, they grew stronger. I was part of the last battalion left trying to stop them. All we did was delay the inevitable." His words were tinged with a bitter resignation, and the weight of his past battles loomed over the room.

Gwen and Peter exchanged worried glances, the hologram shifting to show Mysterio's Earth-devastation unfolding before their eyes, cities crumbling, landscapes burning. "The Elementals are here now, attacking the same coordinates. Our satellites confirmed it," Maria continued, her voice urgent as she pointed at the destructive images.

Gwen felt her gut twist painfully. This bad feeling and the spidey sense she'd been experiencing wasn't about Mysterio himself; it was about the Elementals. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Thank Mr. Beck for destroying the other three," Nick Fury said, his voice steady but laced with tension. "There's only one left: fire."

Gwen's eyes darted back to the hologram, her heart racing as she recognized the catastrophic force that had obliterated Mysterio's Earth. The realization hit her hard: fire was the strongest of them all. "The one that destroyed my Earth. It's the one that took my family," Mysterio revealed, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke.

Gwen's heart sank at his words, an ache settling in her chest. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice soft and empathetic, genuinely feeling the weight of his loss.

"Me too," Peter added quietly, his expression mirroring Gwen's sorrow.

"And it will be in Prague in approximately 48 hours," Maria announced, her tone grim, slicing through the somber atmosphere.

"We have one mission: kill it. And Peter, Spider-Woman, you're coming with us," Nick Fury declared, his words leaving no room for argument, his authoritative demeanor palpable.

Gwen shook her head in disbelief. "What? We can't," she protested, her mind racing with the implications.

"Yeah, did you say Prague? Mr. Fury, this all seems like big-time, you know, huge superhero kind of stuff. And we're just friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and Spider-Woman, sir," Peter interjected, his voice filled with concern and confusion.

"Bitch, please. Peter, you've been to space," Fury shot back, his intensity unwavering. "And it's time to give Spider-Woman her moment to do something like that."

"I know, but that was an accident," Peter insisted, his voice rising slightly as he glanced at Gwen, who looked equally apprehensive.

"And I'm still new to all this," Gwen added, crossing her arms defensively, her uncertainty evident in her posture.

Peter stepped closer to Nick Fury, determination etched on his face. "There's gotta be someone else you can use. What about Thor?" he suggested, desperately trying to think of alternatives.

"Off-world," Fury replied curtly, his patience wearing thin.

"Doctor Strange!" Gwen chimed in, snapping her fingers in realization.

"Unavailable," Maria interjected, shaking her head with a hint of exasperation.

Gwen groaned in frustration, running a hand through her hair. "Captain Marvel?" Peter suggested, his tone growing more desperate.

"Don't invoke her name," Fury snapped, shaking his head emphatically as if the very mention of her was taboo.

Peter and Gwen exchanged exasperated glances, both sensing the gravity of the situation and feeling cornered. "Sir, look, we want to help. We do. But if my aunt finds out I left my class trip, she'll kill me," Peter stated, desperation creeping into his voice.

Gwen nodded in agreement, her expression earnest. "My mom would kill me too, but my brother would be saying, 'Hell yeah! Do this.' But I'm on Peter's side with this one."

"And if I'm seen in Europe after the Washington Monument, my whole class will figure out who I am-who Spider-Woman is-then we're both done," Peter added, a note of panic creeping into his tone as he envisioned the fallout.

"Okay. I understand," Nick Fury finally said, surprising both of them with his unexpected concession.

"I'm sorry, what?" Gwen replied in disbelief, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Why don't you two get back before your teachers miss you and become suspicious?" Nick Fury suggested, his tone shifting from commanding to almost accommodating, giving them a glimmer of hope.

Peter and Gwen shared a shocked look, their eyes wide with disbelief and relief. "Dimitri, take them back to the hotel, please," Nick Fury instructed, his voice firm yet surprisingly kind.

"Thanks," Gwen muttered, still processing the unexpected turn of events, her heart racing as she realized they were free.

"Thank you, Mr. Fury," Peter added, stepping to Gwen's side as they prepared to leave, feeling a mix of gratitude and lingering apprehension.

"And, uh, good luck," Peter said, pausing as Mysterio nodded at him, the gesture surprisingly friendly. Gwen crossed her arms, her expression guarded as she tried to assess Mysterio's intentions.

"See you, kid, Spider-Woman," Mysterio said, his tone casual yet sincere, as if acknowledging their potential.

Gwen simply nodded in response, her thoughts swirling with uncertainty.

"Yeah, see you," Peter replied, a grin forming on his face as he took Gwen's hand, their fingers intertwining. Together, they walked out of the cave, the weight of what lay ahead heavy on their shoulders, yet feeling a strange sense of camaraderie as they faced the unknown together.

ASH SPEAKS!

gwen ofc gets confused again by her gut feeling *sigh*

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!!!!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)