Bonds of Trust

A few moments earlier, Peter had separated from Gwen, returning to his house and specifically to his room.

While his real body—his conscious essence—remained bonded with Gwen, he created an avatar to maintain appearances.

As he stepped into the living room, Aunt May, preparing to leave for her hospital shift, looked at him with surprise.

"You're up early for a weekend, Peter," she said, adjusting her coat.

Peter offered her a warm smile. "Yeah, just thought I'd get an early start today."

Her expression softened. "You seem different lately. It's a good thing. Ben would be proud."

Peter still smiling said, "Thanks, Aunt May. Drive safely."

She nodded and left, glancing back once to see Peter standing at the door, watching her go.

For the past year, since Uncle Ben's death, Peter had been distant and withdrawn. But today, he seemed... brighter. She is relieved to him like this.

Then she went to the car that is parked near their house. It was Ben's car and now She is using it. She started the car and then went to the hospital.

---

Once May was gone, Peter headed back to his room. Through his connection to Gwen, he could see her getting ready. She was brushing her hair and checking her reflection nervously, clearly putting in extra effort for their meeting.

Smiling to himself, Peter decided to make some preparations of his own.

"Great Sage," Peter called out, leaning back against his desk chair. "I'll just call you Sage from now on. Feels simpler. You can call me Peter."

>"Acknowledged, Peter."

Sage's calm and feminine voice replied.

Shifting his thoughts, he asked, "Sage, can you analyze my soul? I need to understand how this bonding and predator ability works."

>"Analyzing the soul of Peter..."

A few seconds later, Sage responded.

> "Your soul resides in a separate dimensional space created by the Predator ability. This space acts as a nexus, storing things you have devoured. It can't store living beings inside but anything other than that is fine."

Peter's brow furrowed. "So, symbiotes normally have their souls in a another dimension and have hive mind, but mine's different because of the Predator ability?"

>"Affirmative. Not only that your unique soul allows for greater autonomy and control over bonded hosts."

Peter nodded thoughtfully. He wasn't a die-hard Marvel fan, just a casual one. Some of this lore felt vaguely familiar, but most of it was new to him.

After all he didn't know every single detail about Marvel universe.

"Sage, is it possible for me to bond with more people?"

>"Yes. You can bond with multiple hosts simultaneously, but your current strength limits you to two hosts."

Peter smirked. "Good to know." Now he can bond with different host of different abilities and increase both his own and other parties power.

It is a win-win situation.

As he is thinking through his bond, Peter sensed Gwen heading toward his house. Quickly, he got up and moved to the front door.

As Gwen reached out to press the doorbell, the door swung open.

"Hey," Gwen said, surprised.

"Hey," Peter replied as he looked at her before stepping aside. "Come on in."

She walked into the familiar home, noting how quiet it was. Peter closed the door behind her, leading her to the living room.

They sat side by side on the sofa with an air of anticipation between them. Gwen glanced at him, noticing something different about him but can't tell what it is.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Gwen asked breaking the silence.

Peter took a deep breath and looked directly into Gwen's eyes. "Do you trust me?"

Gwen hesitated for a moment, noticing the seriousness in his expression. "I do," she replied softly.

Peter nodded and began, "Last night, I went out because I saw a meteor falling. When I got there, an... alien symbiotic organism attached itself to me."

Gwen's eyes widened in shock. She immediately rushed to him, her hands checking his arms and face frantically. "God, are you okay? Did it hurt you?"

Peter couldn't help but smile at her concern. He gently grabbed her hands to stop her. "I'm fine, Gwen. I promise. It's not what you think."

He continued, explaining how the alien symbiote had merged with him, granting him unique powers. "But," he added, his tone turning somber, "there's a catch. It can't survive without bonding with other people. That's where things get complicated."

Gwen's face turned serious as she stared at him. "Complicated how?"

Peter took another breath, preparing for her reaction. "The symbiote gave me the ability to bond with others. It also gave me something called biological manipulation... And last night—"

Her eyes widened, cutting him off. "You bonded with me, didn't you?"

Peter froze. "How... how did you know?"

Gwen's voice was steady, though her expression was unreadable. "I remember seeing you last night. At first, I thought it was just a weird dream... but it wasn't, was it?"

Peter shook his head, feeling a twinge of guilt. "No, it wasn't."

She stepped back, her voice trembling slightly. "How do I know you're still Peter? How do I know the symbiote hasn't... devoured you and is pretending to be you?"

Peter stared at her, impressed by how sharp she was. He nodded, acknowledging her concerns. "That's fair, Gwen. It's right for you to be cautious. That's why I want to tell you everything—my powers, my weaknesses, everything I've gained from the symbiote. I want you to trust me but I know it will take time for me you gain your trust."

Then Peter explained his abilities, Gwen listened intently, though he could feel her panic beneath the surface. She was holding herself together remarkably well, but the tension in her body betrayed her.

Finally, Peter said, "If you don't want this bond, I'll respect that. I'll find someone else to bond with—after asking for their consent, of course. But... the reason I chose you is because I like you."

Gwen's serious expression cracked. "Wh-what?" she stammered, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Peter chuckled softly. "I've liked you for a long time, Gwen. I just never had the courage to say it. After Uncle Ben... I shut myself off from the world. But bonding with the symbiote made me realize how short life is. I want to care for the people I love while I still can."

Gwen stared at him, her emotions a mixture of confusion, panic, and something softer. "That's... a lot to take in, Peter." She sighed, rubbing her temples. "I need some time to think about this. And don't you dare influence my thoughts!"

Peter raised his hands defensively. "Got it. No influencing, I promise."

But then, Gwen's eyes narrowed. "Wait. If you can read my memories... then you know—"

"I know you're the Ghost Spider," Peter interrupted her and began grinning. "And it's so cool! Honestly, I had a guess, but now I'm sure."

Gwen groaned, her face flushing. "Great. No secrets now, huh?"

Her eyes suddenly widened as she remembered something else. "Wait. Damn it, Peter—you watched me take a bath, didn't you?!"

Peter froze. "Well, technically, I'm inside you, so—"

Before he could finish, Gwen punched him hard in the shoulder, making him wince. "Damn it, Peter!"

If he didn't have almost same level of strength as her his shoulder would be broken after that punch.

She stormed toward the door, her face bright red with embarrassment. But just as she opened it, Peter's voice stopped her.

"It wasn't your fault, Gwen."

She froze, her hand still on the doorknob.

Peter continued, his tone soft. "It wasn't your fault Uncle Ben died that night. You're not a god. You can't save everyone. So, please... stop blaming yourself."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned and ran out of the house, heading straight for her room in her house.

Peter watch as she left silently, "Well, I guess it went better than I thought.... I think."

.

.

.

Once she got inside her house, Gwen went straight to her room and closed her bedroom door behind her, leaning against it. Slowly tears streamed down her face. She tried to stifle her sobs, but the weight of Peter's words hit her hard.

Inside her, Peter felt her pain as if it were his own. Gently, he used his powers to soothe her, her clothes tightening slightly as if to comfort her, while a sensation like a soft hand rubbed her back.

Gwen smiled through her tears. "Seriously, I can't even cry alone now?"

Despite her words, the small gesture made her feel better. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel so alone.

.....

**Oscorp industries**

Inside one of the laboratories of oscorp, the tension was palpable. Dr. Curt Connors, a brilliant but desperate scientist, held a vial of green, viscous liquid in his trembling hand. It represented years of his life's work—his dream of regenerative medicine to help those like him.

But dreams often came with a price.

"This is it," Connors muttered to himself, his voice filled with a mix of hope and defiance. "They won't take this from me. Not without knowing what it can do."

He glanced around the empty lab, its cold metal surfaces and flickering monitors bearing witness to his solitude.

Today was his last day here. The board of directors had dismissed him, deeming his methods are not showing the progress they expected.

Worse, they wanted to bypass his protocols and test the serum on human subjects, sidelining him in the process.

"No," he growled under his breath, placing the serum-filled syringe on the table. "This is my project. My work."

He adjusted the recording camera pointed at him, its lens glinting under the harsh fluorescent light. "This serum will change everything," he declared, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions raging inside him. "Not just for me—but for everyone. For science. For humanity."

Taking a deep breath, he rolled up the sleeve of his lab coat, exposing the empty socket where his right arm had once been. The sight of it fueled his determination. Without hesitation, he picked up the syringe and plunged it into his shoulder, injecting the serum directly into the tissue.

At first, there was nothing. He stared at his shoulder expectantly, feeling only the faint prick of the needle.

And then it hit.

A wave of searing pain coursed through his body, centering on his right shoulder. Connors cried out, clutching at the limb. He stumbled back, knocking over a chair as he collapsed against a counter.

"Pain is good," he gasped between clenched teeth, his voice shaky but resolute. "Pain means it's working..."

He forced himself to look at his shoulder. To his astonishment, flesh and bone began to knit together, sprouting like a time-lapse video of a tree growing. Within moments, his right arm emerged, fully formed.

Connors stared at it in disbelief, flexing his fingers and rotating his wrist. "It works," he whispered, tears welling in his eyes. He turned to the camera, holding up his newly regenerated arm. "It works! The serum is a success!"

But as he basked in the euphoria of his accomplishment, a strange sensation began to creep through his body. His muscles tensed unnaturally, his skin tingling as though something beneath it was shifting. He gripped the counter for support, his breathing growing labored.

"What... what's happening?" he muttered, his voice tinged with panic.

He glanced at his reflection in a nearby monitor and froze. His skin was turning a faint shade of green, his pupils narrowing into slits. His breathing quickened as scales began to form along his arm, spreading rapidly across his body.

"No... no, this isn't right," he whispered, stumbling backward.

He collapsed to the floor, writhing as his body contorted, his human form giving way to something else—something primal. His muscles bulged, his spine lengthened, and his mouth extended into a reptilian snout filled with sharp teeth.

When the transformation was complete, the lab was eerily silent. The creature that had once been Dr. Curt Connors rose to its feet, towering over the counters and equipment. Its yellow eyes glinted with a predatory intelligence.

It turned its gaze to the camera, still recording. The creature snarled, shattering the lens with a swipe of its powerful claws.

For the first time, Connors' voice emerged, distorted and guttural:

"I... am... Lizard."

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