The X-Mansion bustled with quiet activity as students and staff went about their day, but the real action was in Jean Grey's company. Wanda Maximoff and Gwen Stacy followed her through the mansion's hallways, admiring the grandeur of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The wood-paneled walls and ornate architecture were a stark contrast to the chaos they had just left behind in New York City.
Gwen's Spider-Woman suit was neatly folded in a small bag she carried, replaced by casual jeans and a fitted hoodie. Wanda, however, had chosen to keep her symbiote suit active, though it had reshaped itself into a sleek, all-black outfit that hugged her frame. Fracture's tendrils occasionally flickered at the edges, giving her an almost otherworldly air.
"So," Gwen said as they walked, her voice laced with curiosity, "how long have you been doing this whole mutant school thing, Jean?"
Jean smiled, glancing over her shoulder. "A few years now. It's... a lot, but it's rewarding. The professor built this place to give mutants a safe space to learn and grow. It's home."
"Safe spaces are nice," Wanda said with a smirk, "but it seems like trouble still finds its way to your doorstep."
Jean laughed softly. "You're not wrong."
As the conversation flowed around her, Gwen's thoughts began to wander. She glanced at Wanda and Jean, noting how naturally they seemed to connect. MJ might be a money-chasing bitch, Gwen thought, but she wasn't wrong about one thing: the only people you can really trust are women.
The thought made Gwen sigh internally. MJ's advice—delivered over countless coffee dates and shopping trips—often came with a sharp edge. "Men are distractions at best," MJ had said once, flipping her red hair with practiced flair. "They'll either let you down or stare at your ass when they think you're not looking."
Gwen rolled her eyes at the memory. MJ wasn't exactly subtle about her disdain for men, and honestly, Gwen hadn't paid much attention to her words back then. But now? After everything she'd been through—and after catching Cyclops red-handed (or red-eyed) earlier—MJ's advice was starting to make a lot more sense.
Her spider-sense tingled faintly as she thought back to her friends, Peter Parker and Harry Osborne. They had always been there—two geeky guys who stuck to her like glue. Peter, in particular, had a knack for appearing wherever she went, always ready with some awkward joke or nerdy fact. Peter's harmless, Gwen thought. Too geeky to even harbor ambitions about me.
But Harry? He was harder to pin down. Handsome, charming, and far wealthier than any teenager should be, Harry had a way of making Gwen feel both flattered and uneasy. And now that she was reflecting on it, something about both Peter and Harry had always seemed... off.
Why were they always wearing reflective sunglasses? Gwen wondered, her brow furrowing. Even indoors sometimes. And at night. Her spider-sense often tingled around them, but she had always assumed it was because of the bad guys who seemed to show up whenever they hung out. Now, though, she wasn't so sure.
Gwen's hand instinctively brushed against the small pouch at her side, where she kept her most trusted weapon: her Tazer of Truth. It was a relic from her pre-Spider-Woman days, back when she had no superpowers and relied on her wits and a 95,000-volt zap to the neck to handle any scumbags who got too close.
Best investment I ever made, Gwen thought, a small smile tugging at her lips. The tazer had saved her more times than she could count, and even now, as Spider-Woman, she carried it everywhere. A spider never leaves home unprepared.
She could still remember the first time she'd used it. Some creep had cornered her outside a coffee shop, thinking she'd be easy prey. One zap later, he was on the ground, twitching like a fish out of water. Gwen had nicknamed the device her "Tazer of Truth" after that, reasoning that it had a way of bringing out people's true colors.
"So, Gwen," Wanda said, her tone light and teasing, "you seem lost in thought. Care to share?"
Gwen blinked, startled out of her reverie. "Oh, uh, nothing important. Just... thinking about my friends."
"Friends, huh?" Wanda smirked. "Anyone special?"
Gwen rolled her eyes. "Not like that. There's Peter—he's harmless. And then there's Harry. He's... complicated."
"Complicated how?" Jean asked, genuinely curious.
Gwen hesitated, then sighed. "It's probably nothing, but they're always wearing sunglasses. Like, all the time. Even indoors. And now that I think about it, my spider-sense always goes off when I'm around them."
Jean frowned. "That's odd."
"You're telling me," Gwen said. "I always thought it was because of bad guys showing up, but now I'm wondering... could they have something to do with it?"
Wanda's crimson eyes glinted with amusement. "A global sunglasses-wearing conspiracy? Intriguing."
Fracture chimed in telepathically. **"If anyone could uncover something like that, it's you, Maximoff. You've got a knack for exposing men's... flaws."**
Wanda smirked. "Don't I know it."
Jean listened to the conversation, her thoughts swirling. Gwen's story about Peter and Harry reminded her of her earlier realization about Cyclops. Maybe Storm was right, Jean thought again. Men really do have a way of complicating things.
Her gaze flicked to Wanda, who was casually teasing Gwen, her crimson aura shimmering faintly. There was something undeniably magnetic about her—her confidence, her power, and the way she seemed to draw people to her effortlessly. As Jean stepped closer, she caught a faint whiff of Wanda's scent again. Does she always smell this good? Or is it just her? Jean wondered, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Unconsciously, she moved closer to Wanda's side, drawn to her presence like a moth to a flame.
The conversation turned to lighter topics as the trio entered the mansion's expansive living room. Wanda flopped onto the couch with a graceful ease, her symbiote retracting slightly to allow her more comfort. Gwen perched on the armrest, her fingers brushing against her Tazer of Truth, while Jean sat across from them, her telekinetic aura faintly glowing.
"So," Wanda said, her tone playful, "what's the verdict, Gwen? Do we confront your sunglass-wearing friends, or do we wait until they slip up?"
Gwen chuckled. "I'll keep an eye on them. But if they try anything shady, they're getting the Tazer of Truth."
Jean arched an eyebrow. "The... Tazer of Truth?"
"Don't ask," Gwen said, laughing. "It's a long story."
Wanda smirked, her crimson eyes glinting. "I like her. She's resourceful."
Jean couldn't help but smile as she watched the two interact. Maybe trusting women isn't just the safer option—it's the smarter one.
As the day stretched on, the trio found themselves laughing more easily, the tension of their earlier battles fading into the background. For now, they were safe, and for now, they were together.
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