As Flash Thompson turned to leave, he was met with a smile—though it didn't look friendly.
"Mr. Thompson, where are you off to?" Evan Li pointed towards the manor's exit. "Just to remind you, the way out is over there."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Flash felt a strange pressure emanating from Evan.
"I mean—"
Snap!
Evan snapped his fingers.
A few seconds later:
"Hey! You can't do this! Hey!" Thompson's thick legs kicked futilely as two burly men in suits lifted him by his arms and escorted him out. His friends received the same treatment.
"Alright, let's not waste time on them," Evan said, holding up the scroll in his hand with a mischievous smile. "I still have a surprise to give Gwen."
Harry glanced at the scroll, curious. "Is this your latest masterpiece? For Gwen?"
"Something like that." Evan asked, "By the way, where is Gwen?"
"Jessica dragged her off to a room on the second floor," Harry explained to reassure Peter, hoping he wouldn't dwell on the bullying incident.
"Alright, I'll go find them. Harry, make sure Peter has fun—don't let him overthink things," Evan said, giving Peter a friendly nod. "Enjoy yourself, Peter."
Peter mumbled an uncertain response, seemingly lost in thought.
Evan simply smiled; Peter was a big boy and didn't need too much hand-holding. Harry could help soothe his nerves.
Humming to himself, Evan shouldered the scroll and headed to the second floor, leisurely scanning the rooms with his Spider-Sense. He soon located the one with Gwen and Jessica.
"Ah, Room 201. Here I come."
.
.
.
Inside Room 201
"Hmm~" Gwen shivered as Jessica adjusted her costume. That strange feeling returned.
"What's up, Gwen?" Jessica asked, pausing. "Did I hurt you?"
"No, Jess." Gwen pressed a hand to her chest in confusion. "It's those palpitations again, like before. But this time, it feels more like… I'm being teased?"
"Oh, please." Jessica rolled her eyes, remembering their last check-up when Gwen had refused to wear her costume. "Feeling lovestruck?"
Jessica scoffed. "What's next? You're going to say that Evan will swoop in to save you?"
"N-No, that's not it…" Gwen covered her face, embarrassed. She had thought about a certain someone.
Convinced that Gwen was just making excuses, Jessica smirked, speeding up her adjustments. "Alright, Gwen, stop squirming. There's no escape from my grasp."
"Oh no, Jess, why am I wearing this…?"
"Because you look amazing in it," Jessica cooed. "Come on, you'll be the prettiest one at the party. You love Ghost-Spider, right? Then hurry up."
As Jessica finished fussing with Gwen's outfit, they were interrupted by a voice from outside.
"Ahem!"
It was Evan.
"Jessica, you in there? I'm coming in~"
Jessica: (x〃)
Gwen: (x〃)
"Ah—just a second."
Jessica glanced down at Gwen and a mischievous grin crossed her face. She shouted back, "Come in, big brother! Don't be shy!"
Click! The door swung open, and Evan strolled in.
He froze, taken aback by the sight before him.
It wasn't just Gwen's flustered pose, her outfit partially unbuttoned, revealing her smooth skin and her face flushed with embarrassment. Well, okay, maybe that was part of it.
But more importantly, why was she wearing a Ghost-Spider costume? Did she give herself away?
Seeing Evan's stunned expression, Jessica figured he'd fallen for her ruse. She placed her hands on Gwen's shoulders and nudged her forward. "Big brother, look what I found—Spider-Gwen!"
"I'm not! It's not true! Don't listen to her!" Gwen protested, waving her hands as she tried to cover herself.
Even though she might not mind Evan seeing her like this, it was still incredibly embarrassing.
Evan stared at Gwen's flushed face and couldn't help but grin. He touched his chin thoughtfully, playing along. "Hmm, I think we need to confirm that, just to be sure."
"Waaah~ Evan, Jessica's bullying me!" Gwen pouted, reaching out for a hug.
Evan obliged, wrapping her in a comforting embrace. "Jessica, don't pick on Gwen."
"Hmph!" Jessica puffed her cheeks like a goldfish. "Wow, you really forget about your sister when you see her, don't you?"
...
If you find any mistakes in the chapter. Please point it out in the comment section and I will try to correct them as soon as possible.