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Dante was confused by Gwen's sudden embrace. He would never say no to it, though. It was nice and comforting.
"I appreciate it," Gwen said, releasing him before stepping back and clasping her hands behind her. She kicked at the floor lightly, fidgeting in a way that was completely unlike the sharp-tongued Ghost Spider he'd been fighting alongside. "So what does this symbiote do?"
Dante chuckled at the rare sight of Gwen Stacy visibly flustered under her mask. "For starters, it can do this."
He picked up the scalpel from the tray and began moving it across his finger. A line of red cut across his skin after several attempts. He beckoned the white symbiote, and it moved in response to his gesture to wrap itself around his finger. When it pulled away a moment later, the cut was gone. Not even a scar remained.
"Wait, what the hell?" Gwen leaned in closer. "Since when can a symbiote heal?"
"Anything's possible in this world," he said and held out the sample dish containing the pale, writhing mass. "Bond with it."
Gwen's lenses widened as she pointed at the symbiote, then at herself. "You're—you're giving this to me?"
"Yeah. It doesn't have a strong consciousness like Venom, so you don't have to worry about it talking to you."
She hesitated for only a second before extending her hand. The white mass climbed onto her palm like it recognized her, then merged with her suit. The transformation happened in an instant. The biggest change was sharp claws and a black giant scorpion-like mark stretching across her chest. When paired with black accents along her hood and her lenses, her suit appeared as quite a sinister villain's costume. (Check para comment for image)
Gwen's head swiveled left and right as she examined herself. "It looks more like a villain's costume."
Dante nearly laughed out loud. His own appearance with skull and flames was infinitely more villainous than hers.
He pulled out his phone and snapped a pic without her noticing.
'It's already seven thirty.'
Anti-Venom's creation took more time than he had expected. He hadn't noticed the passing of time in his focused state.
He uploaded the image to the group chat he'd made with Felicia and Silvija, then scrolled up to catch the messages.
He sees both had sent replies that he hadn't seen.
[Felicia: I love the chat's name. It's like saying "Till death do us part" without actually saying it]
[Silvija: you forgot Death is his girlfriend]
[Felicia: It's not my fault!]
[Felicia: I forget people who aren't around me all the time. Death needs to show up more]
[Felicia: Awww, that's the fluffiest cat I've ever seen]
That last one was in response to the picture of Sharon he had taken at the academy.
[Silvija: can I adopt her?]
He blinked at Silvija's unexpected interest in Sharon. Wolves and war dogs seemed more her speed. Then again, she had a surprisingly soft side when she wasn't playing commander or queen. When she was just Silvija.
A new message popped up as he scrolled.
[Felicia: Goddamn!]
[Felicia: why is her symbiote white?]
[Silvija: a special variant?]
[Silvija: sucks it's not silver]
[Felicia: Learn to be happy with what you have]
[Silvija: Kill yourself]
[Felicia: No you]
[Felicia: You old hussy.]
Then they devolved into arguing with each other, flexing their lingual skills by slandering each other in different languages. Felicia threw out random French curses while Silvija flexed her insane fluency across five languages.
[Dante: Any idea what happened after I left?]
He decided to intervene, or they would spend a whole hour cussing at each other.
[Felicia: They tried to interview us. Silver did this]
Felicia attached a video clip. It showed Silvija, without her symbiote suit, standing in front of a cluster of news cameras. A reporter held a microphone up to her for the interview.
"Visit Silver Sable International for any mercenary work. We handle small personal contracts and large corporate operations!" She gave the most perfect corporate smile. "And for the New Year celebration, we're currently offering significant discounts on our services!"
Dante was impressed. This segment was probably being watched live by millions and would be replayed by billions over the next few days. Silvija had just turned a waste of time interview into a corporate marketing goldmine.
[Felicia: she is going to be flooded with work soon]
[Silvija: I've got Dante to help me with contracts]
[Silvija: I'll have to bring in some of the merc squads I hired for Norman's job]
[Felicia: Fuck Norman]
Silvija immediately joined in, unleashing some of the most vulgar profanity Dante had ever seen in his life. It'd be his fate too if he made her angry in the future.
[Felicia: Wow Silver is good at trashtalking]
[Silvija: Don't mess with me again]
[Silvija: Dante, when are you coming home?]
[Felicia: It's almost dinner time]
[Dante: In an hour at most]
[Dante: Still need to treat Gwen's dad]
[Felicia: Oh]
[Silvija: Why didn't you use your ability?]
[Dante: It's complicated. I'll explain later]
[Felicia: When is it simple with you?]
She sent an eyeroll emoji.
[Felicia: Come back soon, darling]
[Felicia: This bully won't give me dinner without you here]
[Silvija: Whether she goes to sleep full or an empty stomach depends on you now, boyfriend]
[Felicia: Save me darling!]
[Dante: I'll be back soon, don't worry]
He knew they were just trying to make him hurry home. He pocketed his phone and cleaned up the desk.
"Death, take us to the hospital."
Death appeared on the desk, sitting cross-legged on the desk like a queen. "You'll rest properly after this."
It wasn't a request but a demand. She wouldn't allow him to disregard himself anymore.
"I know."
He wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer anyway. The moment his head hit a pillow, he wouldn't be up for five hours at the very least.
Death brushed his cheeks, touching the mask which had appeared with her intent.
"It's the last time today. I can't keep using my powers freely without consequences."
"Thank you."
She teleported them. They appeared in the middle of an operating room. George Stacy lay on the operating table, draped in blue sheets. His head was immobilized in a rigid cervical collar, his body positioned carefully to avoid any movement that might worsen the spinal damage. Monitors beeped in the background.
The surgical team froze mid-prep at their sudden appearance.
"What the—" one of the nurses gasped. "Who allowed you in here?! OUT NOW."
The lead surgeon stared at Dante. "Skullfire, Ghost Spider… Please—whatever you want—we don't want trouble—"
"My business is with George Stacy," Dante said and gestured to the door. "I'll be grateful if you all can leave him to me."
The surgeon hesitated, glancing at the monitors tracking George's vitals. "Sir, this is a critical juncture. We're about to begin spinal decompression and stabilization surgery. If we don't—"
Dante stomped a foot to create cracks on the floor. "Out before I found you all up like pigs."
Gwen scratched her head. "Please leave. We'll take it from here."
The surgical team exchanged glances. The nurses were the first to leave. Then the rest slowly backed toward the door like they were retreating from a wild animal.
"We'll be outside," the surgeon said, trying to salvage some semblance of control. "If you need anything—"
"Just go."
They hurried and the door swung shut behind them, leaving the room eerily quiet except for the beeping of the heart monitor.
He gestured Gwen to her father. "We can start."
Gwen moved to her father's side and began peeling away the monitoring lines and IV tubes. Her hands trembled slightly as she disconnected the oxygen sensor from George's finger.
She glanced back at Dante, and her voice came out small and embarrassed. "How do I do it?"
He stepped up behind her and guided her hands to rest on George's chest. "Venom, can you control it?"
The black symbiote rushed up his body, covering him in its familiar armor.
Venom immediately felt a distaste for the sterile air and Anti-Venom's smell. "Just staying around it is weakening me."
"It's like your kid. Get used to it."
"I do not claim it," Venom said sourly. "but I can command it."
White symbiote matter began to extend from Gwen's hands and across George's body. In a few seconds, George looked like a mummy cocooned in pale, writhing tissue marked with faint black spots.
"He won't suffocate, right?"
Seeing her father like this, Gwen was unable to stop herself from imagining worst-case scenarios.
"It'll be fine," he said with a yawn, then rested his chin on her shoulder "You mind?"
"N-Not at all," Gwen stuttered, clearly flustered but trying not to show it. "You can ease up more. I can handle it."
Her trying to be tough even when she was clearly freaking out on the inside was quite adorable.
"When this is done, I hope you can convince him to retire."
"Huh?" Gwen turned her head slightly, confused. "Any particular reason?"
Dante thought for a moment, then decided to reveal the truth. He explained the Canon Events and how they happened to Spider-Totem across the Multiverse, how interfering with them could destroy entire universes, and why he had to create Anti-Venom instead to bypass the restriction.
She might need the knowledge in case the Spider-Society decided to pay this universe a visit. There wasn't any point in hiding it from her anyway.
Gwen took a long moment to process it all. "I can't believe that."
"It's hard to swallow, I know."
He wouldn't have believed a word of it if someone had told him the same thing a year ago. Saving one person destroying the universe sounded absurdly silly.
"Why?" Gwen whispered a question. "Why go so far for me?"
"I didn't like seeing you sad, broken. It felt like the right thing to do, but…" He nuzzled his face against her masked face. "I wouldn't mind something for my trouble."
He was obviously teasing, trying to make her flustered enough to say something stupid.
Gwen just went quiet.
The silence stretched out, awkward and heavy, until he couldn't take it anymore. "I was joking. You didn't have to take that seriously."
"I know," Gwen groaned. "Is he really healing under this?"
He communicated with Venom, who was quite focused at this moment in redirecting Anti-Venom.
"It is done," Venom said in a slightly sluggish voice. "I will sleep. Don't die without me, Host."
The white symbiote matter receded into Gwen's suit. At first glance, he looked the same as before, but his face was no longer as pale as before. His cheeks were ruddy and his breathing stable.
'Good night, my little symbiote.'
He released Gwen's hands and stepped aside, sitting on the edge of George's bed.
Gwen cast an anxious glance at him that seemed to be conveying: 'It worked… right?'
He raised his hand and made a series of quick gestures in the air. Golden light flickered around his fingers as he muttered under his breath, weaving a simple illusion spell. The white-and-black Ghost Spider suit shimmered and faded, replaced by the appearance of casual clothes in jeans and hoodie. A basic sorcery capable of fooling the masses.
Now wasn't the time to reveal Gwen's secret identity to George.
Gwen looked down at herself and blinked in surprise. "I appreciate it."
He nodded and reached out to gently tap George's face a couple of times. George's eyes flickered. His lids fluttered open slowly, then he sat up on the bed with a groan, rubbing his eyes like he had just woken from the deepest sleep of his life.
Gwen saw this and threw herself into his arms. "Dad!"
Dante chuckled quietly as he watched George try to process everything. The older man's arms came up automatically to hold his daughter, still half-asleep but already patting her back on instinct.
"Gwen…?"
Death appeared beside Dante. "Are you going to take Gwen as your girlfriend?"
He glanced at the father and daughter embracing each other, Gwen telling how glad she was to see him fine.
"I do like her a bit," he whispered just enough for Death to hear him. "I don't think Gwen will be down to be my girlfriend."
If it was just Gwen, he was confident to make her accept him. But he was already in a relationship with three women. Besides, he quite liked the friendship they had at the moment. It was enough.
Death rested her head against his shoulder. "Whoever you end up with isn't my concern, but I'm always the priority."
"Well, you're my true companion."
George patted Gwen's back one more time, then gently pushed her shoulders back so he could look at her properly. Then he turned his head toward Dante, revealing a serious expression.
"Gwen said you saved my life," George said, his voice rough but sincere. "How did you do it?"
"It was magic," he said with a shrug. "I can't guarantee I'll do it again."
With that, he got off the bed and left the room. The moment the door opened, the surgeons waiting outside rushed in. He ignored them and took a seat on one of the steel benches in the lobby.
"Death, can I have another teleport?"
"I told you I can't, Companion." Death sighed. "Any more use of my power would alert some annoying people."
"Annoying people?"
"Just some ancient people I ragebaited in the past," she said dismissively. "Companion, you can take a cab."
"Fuck…"
He took out his phone to book an Uber. Before he could confirm, Gwen walked out of the room and took his hands.
"Come with me."
Without accepting an answer, she started dragging him through the hallway.
***
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