Abandoned Subway Station.
"Hydra?" Peter Parker hesitated. "I thought Captain America destroyed them in World War II."
Captain America was an icon. Even now, Peter had fantasized about living up to that legacy.
"They never died," Dr. Connors said, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism. "They just evolved. They infiltrated governments, intelligence agencies... SHIELD."
Connors feared SHIELD. They had decades of tech and resources. If they came for him, he would end up in a hole.
But Hydra offered protection. And power.
"Will we be safe?" Peter asked, putting aside his hatred for Vincent for a moment.
"We will be gods," Connors promised. "If we succeed, we become the new pantheon of this world. Even Oscorp will fall into our hands through Hydra's influence."
Connors was a wanted man. He had killed innocents. There was no going back to the light.
But Peter... Peter could still be a hero. A dark hero, but a hero.
"Our goal is to shed these mortal shells," Peter said firmly. "To fuse with the new blood and ascend."
"Exactly," Connors nodded. "Mutants get their power by accident. We will seize ours by design."
"But Oscorp... we can't let Vincent Hall take it," Peter growled. "We need to control Harry. His genes are the key."
Connors sighed. Peter's obsession with Harry and Vincent was a liability. But he needed Peter as a test subject.
"Fine. We join Hydra."
Manhattan Skyline.
Gwen Stacy—Ghost Spider—perched on a skyscraper overlooking Central Park.
"I will find you, Ice Demon," she whispered.
The park was cordoned off by the military. But from her vantage point, she saw the devastation. A third of the park was frozen solid.
"Ice Demon left his mark again."
She remembered kicking him once. She had saved his life then (or so she thought). Now, her father, Captain Stacy, hated vigilantes because of people like the Ice Demon.
"Where is Dad?" she wondered. Usually, Captain Stacy would be here.
She swung through the city, bored.
Then she saw a familiar figure.
Vincent?
He had skipped school today.
"Why is he here?" Gwen wondered.
She knew Vincent had secrets. He was rich. He wrote Fifty Shades. And he had Hydro-Kinesis (she suspected he was a mutant).
"Did he come to see the Ice Demon's work?"
She followed him, engaging her suit's Shadow Camouflage (a new ability she developed). She blended into the darkness perfectly.
Vincent stopped and looked up.
He senses me?
Gwen held her breath. But Vincent just frowned and kept walking.
She trailed him to a luxury villa near the park.
"A new house?" Gwen was annoyed. "He didn't tell me."
Her mind raced. Is he meeting a woman?
She used her Spider-Sense.
Water running. Someone is showering.
"Just a peek," Gwen told herself. "If he's cheating, I'll web him to the ceiling."
She phased through the front door (another new Ghost Spider power in this universe).
The living room was dark.
Click.
The lights turned on.
Vincent stood up from the sofa, stiff as a zombie.
"AH!" Gwen yelped, dropping her camouflage.
"Gwen?" Vincent blinked. "I thought you were a burglar."
"I... uh..." Gwen blushed, pulling off her mask. "I saw you walking. I thought you were in trouble."
"In my own house?" Vincent smiled, seeing through her lie. "I bought this place today. From Abel, the NBA star."
"Abel?!" Gwen squealed, forgetting her stealth mission. "The basketball legend?"
"Yep. His signed jersey is upstairs."
"It's mine!" Gwen declared, pulling her mask back on and sprinting upstairs.
Vincent followed her slowly.
"Are you disappointed there isn't another woman in the shower?" he teased.
"Hmph!" Gwen ignored him, staring at the framed jersey. "I want this."
"What are you willing to trade?" Vincent hugged her from behind. The black and white suit hugged her curves perfectly.
"A jersey for a jersey?" Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Fair trade."
Vincent kissed her.
The "fight" was intense.
Later.
"Vincent! My suit!" Gwen whined, looking at the torn fabric on the floor. "How am I supposed to get home?"
"It's my suit now," Vincent grinned.
Gwen rolled her eyes and snuggled into the blanket.
"Did you buy this house just to skip school?"
"No, I bought a company too."
"Stark Industries?" Gwen's eyes widened.
"I wish. No, Oscorp."
Gwen sat up, the sheet falling away. "What?! You bought Oscorp?"
"Just Connelly's shares. I'm the second-largest shareholder now."
Gwen looked at him with new eyes. Her boyfriend wasn't just rich. He was a titan.
"Vincent, you're amazing!" She tackled him.
Central Park.
General Ross stared at the frozen soldiers.
"We can't let a demon rule this city," Ross muttered.
He thought of the Abomination (Blonsky), locked away in the Vault. He was too unstable.
Then he remembered an old project.
Project Sentinel.
William Stryker. A fanatic who hated mutants.
"Maybe we should talk," Ross thought.
"General," a soldier approached. "The ice isn't melting. It's... permanent."
Ross looked across the park at the orange villa.
He knew who lived there now.
"Vincent Hall," Ross narrowed his eyes. "We'll be watching you."
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