"Alright, just one left!"
Evan, having handled Rhino, landed in front of Norman Osborn. He grabbed Osborn by the neck, lifting him with one hand, ready to take action.
Gwen couldn't just stand by and let him harm her classmate's father. "Black Spider, thank you for your help again. Please, don't be impulsive. We should hand Osborn over..."
Crack!
Before she could finish, Norman Osborn slumped lifelessly, his head tilted to the side.
"You—!"
Before Gwen could react further, Evan vanished in a flash.
She stomped her foot in frustration. "He's gone again! Can you ever just let someone finish a sentence?"
As Gwen fumed about Evan's style...
Jessica approached her, asking, "Gwen? Is that you?"
Jessica?
Seeing reporters beginning to swarm the area, Gwen quickly whispered, "It's me. Let's keep this between us. I'll get you out of here first."
She wrapped an arm around Jessica's waist, shot a web onto a nearby building, and they swung away from the crowd.
A Random High-Rise Apartment
Jessica gasped. "My god! It really is you, Gwen!"
Gwen took off her mask with a grin. "Surprised?"
Since her secret was out, Gwen figured she might as well be straightforward. Jessica didn't exactly have a discreet side anyway.
After a few minutes…
Jessica, still catching her breath, glanced at Gwen as they swung past the buildings. "A lot happened today, Gwen..."
Gwen laughed, "I never expected you'd have superpowers, too!"
"Superpowers..." Jessica's gaze turned somber, and she told Gwen her story.
"Maybe they came after the accident. But the cost was that my family didn't survive..."
"I never knew what to do with these powers... I think I just felt lucky to meet my brother and live a carefree life again."
"Until I saw you, Gwen—or, rather, Ghost-Spider."
"If there had been a hero like you there at the time of the accident, things might have ended differently."
"I thought maybe... I could be a superhero too, so what happened to me won't happen to anyone else."
Gwen listened intently, and when Jessica finished, she softly said, "Jessica, Evan would be proud of you."
"Him?"
Jessica smiled slightly, her sadness easing. "Come on~ I know my brother's personality. He doesn't care if I'm a superhero or not. If I make trouble for him, he'll still spank me!"
"Hehe~"
Gwen found the contrast endearing. Mentioning Evan brought out a whole different side of Jessica.
If not for Evan, Jessica would be a different person now.
Evan really is a good brother, Gwen thought with a smile. I'm so glad my friend has him in her life.
.
.
.
.
Later on, in the Lower East Side
"Jessica!"
Evan held up his phone, showing a photo of her face captured by a nearby camera.
"Listen, if you're going to be a superhero, can you at least be more prepared? I don't want my peaceful life turned upside down."
Jessica, now in a short black skirt, stood nervously, fingers fidgeting, twisting subtly to keep her backside out of her brother's line of sight.
"It was an accident! I didn't mean to! Blame that big, dumb Rhino!"
She looked around guiltily. "Yes, it's totally his fault!"
Evan raised an eyebrow and read aloud from his phone, "Ahem! According to reports, a clash between super-villains and heroes occurred in Queens... blah blah blah… identities of Black Spider and Ghost-Spider remain unknown."
"However, during the scuffle, a so-called 'Knightress' was spotted stumbling, and her mask accidentally came off..."
Evan emphasized the word "accidentally." "Could you be any more clumsy?"
"Ugh~"
Jessica pouted, trying her best to look cute. "Big brother... you know I love you the most!"
Evan scoffed. "You think that's going to work on me?"
Seeing she was out of options, Jessica took a deep breath and threw herself into Evan's arms.
"Big brother, I love you!"
It was a last-ditch effort.
"Heh, little tricks!"
Evan smirked, effortlessly catching her arms and flipping her across his knee.
With practiced ease, he lifted her pleated skirt.
"Ah—no!"
Smack!
...
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.