Marvel’s Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse

Gwen-Spider glanced at Peter and said calmly, "Not bad. If I had to grade you out of 100, I'd give you a 70."

"What? That low?" Peter protested. He felt like he had done pretty well.

Gwen-Spider replied, "Actually, back at the jewelry store, you could've stopped the robbers as they were getting into the car. There was no need to chase them down, almost losing track of them in the process."

"Uh…" Peter thought for a moment. That did make sense.

At the jewelry store, he had been hiding behind a sign diagonally in front of the entrance.

But at that moment, he saw Mrs. Cleave about to fall, and instinctively went to help her first.

If he had acted against the robbers right then, he probably could have subdued them within seconds.

"No, wait. If I had acted then, Mrs. Cleave could've been hurt!" Peter argued.

At that time, the robbers' car was still parked at the store's entrance, with the backseat aligned with Mrs. Cleave. From that angle, it was entirely possible the robbers might have fired at her in a panic.

"You could've flipped the car over," Gwen-Spider replied coolly.

"Wait, that's an option?" Peter was stunned. That car only weighed about two tons. With his strength, flipping it—or even lifting the whole thing—would've been easy.

And once the car was overturned, the sudden shock would have left the robbers too disoriented to fire their weapons.

Still, for such a violent method to be suggested by a delicate-looking girl—was that really appropriate?

Thinking about it, Peter gave Gwen-Spider a peculiar look.

Noticing his gaze, Gwen-Spider said, "What's wrong with solving a problem in the most direct and effective way?"

"That's great. I've learned a lot from you. Thank you, Gwen. It's really nice to have a friend like you!" Peter looked into her eyes, speaking earnestly.

Gwen-Spider held his gaze for a moment, then quickly turned her head. "A-All right. Take a break, then let's find the next target."

Peter nodded, though he felt a pang of regret.

He could sense that Gwen-Spider had something she wasn't saying.

Whatever she truly wanted to share, it wasn't the stories she had told him in the subway.

But if she didn't want to talk about it, Peter wouldn't push her.

The truth was, they weren't close enough to share everything yet.

Still, he wondered—what could be harder to talk about than the stories she'd already shared?

The tales Gwen-Spider had told earlier showed she considered him a "companion."

But that companionship was more about shared abilities and circumstances—being "of the same kind" and both stranded far from home.

That kind of bond was still far from true friendship.

Peter decided to wait. He'd wait for the day Gwen-Spider chose to tell him everything.

The earlier action hadn't drained Peter too much.

After a few minutes of rest, he was back to full strength.

With a quick word to Gwen-Spider, he set off again.

For the rest of the morning, there weren't any major cases.

Peter rescued a child who was almost hit by a car, helped an elderly woman cross the street, and even lent a hand to a food delivery guy stuck in traffic, ensuring his order was delivered on time.

There were indeed some rewards.

The elderly woman Peter helped across the street insisted on treating him to something to eat, thanking him for his contributions to the community.

Peter knew she had mistaken him for Ultimate Spider-Man.

Unable to refuse her kindness, Peter silently thanked Ultimate Spider-Man in his heart and accepted the woman's offer—a meat pie. Flushing was a predominantly Asian immigrant neighborhood in New York, and this meat pie shop, run by a Chinese immigrant, had fused traditional flavors with a Western twist, making it quite popular among locals.

"Mr. Spider-Man, my whole family adores you!" the elderly woman said cheerfully, holding Peter's hand while they waited for the pie to bake.

"Haha, that's wonderful to hear," Peter replied with a warm smile, feeling a comforting warmth in his heart.

Being acknowledged for his efforts—this was the greatest affirmation and the best reward.

After some small talk, the woman's tone shifted, and she said angrily, "Yesterday, the TV said Spider-Man was dead! I asked Gerard, and he said it was just nonsense from those shameless reporters. I was so upset I barely ate dinner! How can they say such things? Truly irresponsible journalists!"

Hearing this, Peter didn't know how to respond.

The news wasn't wrong—Ultimate Spider-Man really was gone.

But he could see how much the elderly woman genuinely liked Spider-Man.

"Gerard" was probably a family member who lived with her and likely chose to hide the truth to spare her the sadness.

For some reason, the thought of Aunt May looking heartbroken crossed Peter's mind.

Smiling gently, Peter placed his other hand over the woman's and said, "Grandma, see? I'm here, safe and sound. It doesn't matter what they say."

"Yes, yes! It's so good to see you well!" The elderly woman laughed with joy.

Soon, the meat pie was ready.

After thanking her, Peter took the pie and returned to the rooftop, where Gwen-Spider was waiting.

Gwen-Spider wasn't wearing her mask, probably because it wasn't comfortable to wear without a reason.

Peter also preferred not to wear his mask when he didn't have to.

However, for some reason, he noticed a hint of envy in Gwen-Spider's gaze.

What was she envious of?

The meat pie?

Peter was puzzled but wasn't the stingy type. He held out the pie and said, "Here, want some? Smells amazing!"

"I-I'm good. You have it," Gwen-Spider hesitated, then shook her head, adding, "It's from the grandma for you."

"But it's a big pie, and I had a big breakfast. I can't finish it," Peter said with a mock pained expression. "Wasting food is a terrible thing, Gwen. You wouldn't want me to turn into someone who wastes food, right?"

"Huh?" Gwen-Spider hadn't expected him to frame it that way and replied irritably, "Do you think I'm a kid? What's with that patronizing tone?"

"Hehe," Peter chuckled shamelessly.

Seeing how closed-off and guarded Gwen-Spider seemed, he couldn't resist teasing her a little.

But he was serious about sharing the pie.

With a quick tear, Peter split the pie and its wrapper in half and offered one half to Gwen-Spider. "Consider it a reward for helping me pass my evaluation."

"Well, if you insist, I'll accept it," Gwen-Spider said after a brief hesitation. She took half the pie, bit into it, and, judging by her expression, seemed unexpectedly moved.

"Strange. Is it really that good?" Peter muttered to himself, taking a bite of his own.

(End of Chapter)

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