Chapter 022: Verification

To be honest, this dream left Gwen Stacy completely bewildered.

Because in this dream, there were too many things that seemed familiar yet off.

Although becoming Spider-Woman felt great to Gwen, and the thrill of fighting crime was addictive, the problem was, when did she ever form a band?

Let alone become a drummer—she had no idea how to play the drums at all.

Also, who was Mary Jane Watson? She didn't know her. And Betty Brant and Glory Grant? She didn't know them either.

Not to mention Peter Parker—she had even less idea who he was.

But in the dream, she seemed to have a very close relationship with this Peter Parker, even somewhat romantic at times, especially when Peter Parker died at the end, and the dream version of her was devastated.

This made Gwen Stacy unable to forget him. Every time she woke up, she would cry, and so Gwen Stacy couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity: did this person, Peter Parker, really exist in the world?

So, to verify this answer, Gwen Stacy for the first time disobeyed her father's叮嘱 and didn't go straight home after school.

Instead, she went to Midtown High School.

In her dream, she remembered that she and Peter Parker seemed to have met here. So Gwen Stacy decided to investigate whether Peter Parker existed in this world.

But what frustrated Gwen Stacy was that when she arrived at Midtown High, school was already out.

However, what excited Gwen Stacy was that when she asked some students who hadn't left yet about Peter Parker, she got a positive answer.

"You mean, the timid Parker?" A curly-haired man looked at Gwen Stacy in surprise, wondering why such a beautiful woman would be looking for that guy.

"The timid Parker—does that mean Peter Parker?" Gwen Stacy suppressed her excitement and asked.

"Of course," the curly-haired man said. "If you're looking for him, he probably hasn't left school yet."

"Thanks." After thanking him, Gwen Stacy quickly entered Midtown High. But she soon realized her rashness because she forgot to ask which class Peter Parker was in.

But that didn't matter. In the school hallway, Gwen Stacy met a red-haired woman and sincerely asked her about Peter Parker's class.

The red-haired woman looked at Gwen Stacy in surprise. "You're looking for Peter? Are you a friend of Peter's?"

Peter?

That form of address seemed a bit intimate.

Gwen Stacy looked at the red-haired woman and suddenly felt she looked familiar, as if she had seen her somewhere. The red-haired woman, puzzled by Gwen Stacy's stare, checked herself, wondering if something was wrong.

"Mary Jane Watson?" Gwen Stacy suddenly realized that this red-haired woman seemed to be her friend from the dream. The facial features were similar, but her friend was thinner and prettier.

"You know me?"

The red-haired woman was taken aback. Without a doubt, she was Mary Jane.

"No, I... I've just heard your name," Gwen Stacy quickly said.

Mary Jane seemed to think of something and said, "I see. Peter must have told you, right?"

"I..." Gwen Stacy wanted to deny it, but didn't know how. Could she say she had a dream where they were friends and even formed a band?

Oh my god, she would definitely think I'm crazy.

Just as Gwen was hesitating, a thin man suddenly walked out from the corner of the hallway. Seeing Mary Jane's back, a slight smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Hey, Mary Jane."

Gwen Stacy looked in the direction of the voice. Although there was a slight difference in appearance, he was undoubtedly the man she had seen in her dream.

That always somewhat timid Peter Parker.

But the real-life Peter Parker didn't seem as timid as in the dream; instead, his face radiated a confident smile.

"Hey, Peter, perfect timing. Your friend is looking for you?" Mary Jane saw Peter and immediately stepped aside, revealing Gwen Stacy.

"Friend?" Peter Parker saw Gwen Stacy and nodded. "That's right, she's my friend."

Gwen Stacy was completely dumbfounded.

How is that possible?

Peter Parker actually knew her? Could it be that he also had a similar dream? Could it be that this wasn't a dream at all, but their future, or their past?

Or was this a version of themselves from a parallel world?

Just as Gwen was lost in thought, Peter smiled slightly and said to Mary Jane, "Mary Jane, I have something to discuss with my friend. Could you wait for me at the school gate?"

Mary Jane looked at Gwen Stacy, didn't object, smiled and said, "Don't keep me waiting too long," then turned and left.

Peter Parker watched Mary Jane leave, then turned to Gwen Stacy and said, "No matter how many times you come to see me, my answer is the same. I won't fight the White Witch with you. She's too dangerous."

Gwen Stacy: ...

She couldn't understand what Peter Parker was saying at all.

"What do you mean, fight the White Witch? Who is the White Witch? Why would you fight her?"

Peter Parker: ...

After a few seconds of awkward silence, both seemed to realize something and spoke at the same time.

"You don't know me."

"You're not him."

Well, that was awkward, but they quickly broke the silence.

"Who are you?"

"Who is he?"

...

After a brief silence, both realized the atmosphere had become even more awkward, so Peter Parker broke the silence first. "Who are you, really? I don't know you."

"Then why did you lie just now?" Gwen Stacy asked.

"I thought you were him."

"Who is he, and why would you mistake me for a man?"

"Actually, I don't know if he's a man or a woman either," Peter Parker replied with a bitter smile.

"Are you kidding me?" Gwen didn't believe him.

"Believe it or not, I really did mistake you for someone else. Who are you, why are you looking for me, and why are you pretending to be my friend?" Peter Parker looked at Gwen Stacy with sharp eyes. Could this woman also know his identity?

Gwen Stacy hesitated for a long time before deciding to tell him the truth, because this dream was troubling her greatly, and she wanted to know if Peter Parker had ever had this dream too.

Although the possibility was low, she still wanted to know.