Finally, we arrived in Rome!
Rome, the City of Seven Hills, the City of All Cities, the Eternal City, and the capital of Ancient Rome. Its status in Europe is peerless—though if Istanbul were still in the hands of the Greeks, it might have had a rival.
But in any case, this was a place filled with historical and cultural atmosphere, as well as a location shrouded in many beautiful "filters." Generally speaking, filters are meant to be broken; for instance, Peter and Gwen had already encountered pickpockets three times while waiting in line to enter the Colosseum. There wasn't much they could do about it; the police were far away, so they could only scare the thieves off once they were caught in the act.
That wasn't the only place where the filter was shattered. The two of them had purchased top-tier tickets, so they took the elevator directly to the highest level of the Colosseum. Perhaps because the tickets were more expensive, there weren't many tourists on the top floor.
However, looking down from above, they still encountered the one problem unavoidable at any major tourist attraction: people were everywhere. A literal sea of humanity. It felt less like sightseeing and more like people-watching. It was entirely different from the Colosseum seen in documentaries or photographs.
"Wow... it really feels like..."
Gwen scratched her head, looking at the massive Roman Colosseum with a mix of awe and confusion. She wanted to say something complimentary, but in reality, the place was quite dilapidated. Coupled with the swarms of tourists, she had the strange illusion that it was the tourists themselves who were destroying the monument.
The floor of the arena had long been destroyed, revealing the rooms below where gladiators once rested or wild beasts were caged. The various stone pillars and walls down there were heavily weathered. Only a small portion of the floor had been reconstructed to provide a place for tourists to stand.
"The biggest feeling is just... it's a pity. I can't help but imagine the spectacle this place used to be. Seeing it in person makes it feel even more ruined than in photos or on TV."
Gwen leaned on the railing, watching the arena and the crowds below. Peter stood beside her, taking a photo of her first before speaking to her about the history of the Colosseum's destruction. "After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Colosseum spent years without maintenance. It essentially became a stone quarry for the Italians. Many churches, in particular, used stone taken from here, which is why the damage is so severe. It wasn't until the 17th century that the Papacy declared it a sacred site and placed it under protection."
Gwen tilted her head, watching the crowds below. "I'm really curious sometimes. You have to go to school, be Spider-Man, and keep up the act of doing an internship... where exactly do you find the time to learn all this random stuff?"
"I don't know. Maybe I just see it and it sticks?"
Peter spoke half-jokingly, then took another photo of Gwen. Gwen felt the breeze as she watched the crowds below, then suddenly uttered an apology.
"?"
"Um, I mean about yesterday. Actually, I didn't have any reason to be moody. After all, I know you're doing important work, and that wasn't really you anyway." Gwen tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I realized that I was just... I just felt like I couldn't help at all."
"I remember we discussed this topic already."
Gwen looked around; there was no one nearby.
"Yeah, we discussed it. But reaching a conclusion after a discussion doesn't mean... it just goes away. You're fighting almost every day. Every day you put on your suit and go to battle against people using superpowers to commit crimes."
Gwen spoke with a sense of helplessness. "Do you know what the hardest part is? You never tell the truth. You never say how dangerous an operation is, or what kind of terrifying enemies you're facing. I'm just... I don't even know if you'll die in your next battle. And I can't help. I can't even stay by your side because that might get in your way."
This was the real source of Gwen's frustration. It wasn't because an LMD Peter and an LMD Cindy were on a date for everyone to see; it was because she was powerless. The Korvac incident had granted Gwen a superpower, but it was one that could be described as utterly useless.
She was still an ordinary person, possessing zero defensive capabilities against terrifying superhumans like the Elementals. Gwen felt even worse because she realized she still couldn't contribute.
If only she had received Carol Danvers' power; at least then she could be of some help.
"...If you really could help, I'd probably be even more worried. Worried that you'd get dragged into something dangerous. You wouldn't hesitate to come save me regardless of how powerful the enemy was. In many ways, Gwen, we think exactly alike."
Gwen interrupted him. "Then what about Cindy? Don't you worry about her?"
"Actually... I haven't called her for many of the most dangerous battles. She doesn't even know about them."
Gwen opened her mouth to speak, but finally let out a helpless laugh. She brushed her hair aside, suddenly thinking of a question.
"Um, you've been to quite a few parallel universes, right? Aside from the one where I was the one bitten by the spider, what are we like in the other universes?"
Peter opened his mouth, suddenly feeling that this wasn't a great topic. But Gwen kept her eyes on him, and finally, he gave a helpless shrug.
"From what I know, in most worlds, we become a couple... and then you die."
Gwen's jaw dropped. She seemed to understand why Peter had been trying so hard to keep her from helping. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Alright, so... how does Gwen Stacy die?"
"The Green Goblin didn't know you were Spider-Man's girlfriend—in some universes, you didn't even know I was Spider-Man yourself. He kidnapped you and threw you off a bridge, and then, well..."
Peter didn't know how to describe it. In truth, to this day, it remained a matter of debate whether Spider-Man's improper use of webbing snapped Gwen Stacy's neck, or if she was already dead before that.
"I promise that won't happen to you."
"Because the Green Goblin is dead?"
Peter nodded. He wasn't entirely sure if the Green Goblin was truly gone. After the whole incident ended, the White Queen had scanned Norman's brain and concluded that the Goblin had vanished completely. However, she also mentioned that the Goblin was inherently terrifying, and she couldn't rule out the possibility that he was simply hiding.
But at least for now, Norman's mental state was very stable, and the AI Green Goblin had indeed been destroyed. Gwen was safe, at least for the time being.
"Alright, let's skip this topic. I feel like you're getting all depressed."
Gwen smiled, turning around to lean against the railing. "Take a few more photos for me?"