...

Lucas Mason was a bit surprised. Peter didn't come to Oscorp today. He didn't know exactly why, but it was clear that his presence had altered the original plot.

Still, Lucas wasn't worried about Spider-Man. As long as Peter wanted to uncover the mystery behind his parents' disappearance, he would eventually find his way to Oscorp—maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. It was only a matter of time.

Lucas wondered, though: would the events of the Marvel Universe now shift because of him?

Suddenly, Lucas froze. Someone was tailing him. It wasn't his heightened awareness that gave it away but the amateurish way the person was following him: too close, loud footsteps, and even reflections on the walls.

Who could it be? Oscorp wouldn't have reacted this way. If they'd noticed his intrusion, security would've just thrown him out since he wasn't wearing his Devil mask.

Remaining calm, Lucas turned into a quieter hallway. Once he reached a corner with a surveillance blind spot, he activated the Snake Talisman.

"Invisibility!"

With the talisman's power, Lucas blended into the wall, silently waiting. He heard the soft footsteps approaching and was surprised when he saw who it was: Gwen Stacy.

Why was she following him instead of supervising the interns?

"No one here?" Gwen muttered, looking puzzled. She scanned the hallway, noting an open door at the end. It was impossible for someone to just vanish, right?

She hesitated for a moment, debating whether to investigate further. But curiosity got the better of her.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

As she advanced, Lucas observed quietly. The sign by the door caught his eye: "Biocable Development Unit". That's where Peter was supposed to end up today, not Gwen.

Had he altered the plot so much that Gwen was now stepping into Peter's shoes? Could Gwen Stacy, and not Peter, become Spider-Man?

It didn't matter to Lucas. Gwen's sense of justice rivaled Peter's. If she became Spider-Woman, she would make an excellent hero.

Gwen stepped into the research lab. As an intern, she had never been here before. The high-tech surroundings amazed her—the assembly line producing advanced biocable, inspired by spider silk, was something out of a sci-fi movie.

The room was quiet, except for the sound of automated machines testing the tensile strength of the cables. Gwen was captivated but also felt a strange sense of unease.

"Mr. Mason? Lucas?" she called softly, peering into the room. But Lucas, invisible, watched her silently.

She wandered toward a large rotating machine covered in spider webs. Curiosity got the best of her, and she reached out to touch the shimmering threads.

In that instant, the machine slowed, the webs began to twist, and mutant spiders fell to the floor. Gwen's skin crawled as the spiders skittered across her body.

She screamed and shook them off, but it was too late—a sharp pain shot through her neck.

"Ah!" Gwen gasped, nearly stumbling into the wall. She touched the bite mark on her neck.

['Superhero Spider-Gwen' detected. 'Rabbit Talisman' unsealed, upgrade possible with villain value.]

[Make Spider-Gwen experience negative emotions to gain more rewards.]

Lucas smirked at the system's prompt. Was it really okay to bully such a beautiful girl? He approached Gwen, still invisible.

"You were bitten by a spider," he said softly, materializing beside her.

Gwen jumped, glaring at him. "You!" She was frustrated—today had been a disaster, and now she didn't know if the spider was venomous.

Lucas casually reached over and plucked a strand of spider silk from her hair, showing her the small spider still hanging at the end of it.

Gwen grimaced. "Should I go to a hospital?" she asked, trying to remain calm.

"Maybe. We don't know if these spiders are dangerous," Lucas replied with a smile.

They exchanged a brief look before Gwen broke the tension by asking, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm an intern at the Osborn Group's biomaterials department. This lab is where we research 'Green Goblin Biocables.'"

Lucas's response was smooth—he never had to rehearse his lies.

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