WUM 214

Chapter 214: The Spider-Woman

Recently, all of New York’s news outlets have been captivated by a woman.
The New York Times had even dropped its usual coverage of political scandals and the endlessly gossip-worthy Tony Stark—mainly because, for the first time in forever, playboy Tony Stark had lost his “manly touch.”

The most shocking part? Tony hadn’t been involved in a single scandal for months. His usual cover girls were practically itching for headlines.

New Yorkers, being New Yorkers, were obsessed either with their own sex lives—or Tony’s. But now that Stark had seemingly reformed, everyone’s attention shifted… to a mysterious female figure.

Why call her a “female figure”? Because the supposed protagonist was a curvy, masked vigilante.
And, of course, in modern America, one cannot assume a masked person’s gender—after all, they might identify as a Tiger tank. Or an attack helicopter.

In a dim alleyway in Queens, a masked thief had just “liberated” some goods from a shopping mall when he was suddenly cornered by someone in a tight-fitting suit.

“Okay, dumb thief. Drop the stolen goods now and I might let you go. Otherwise, get ready to hang from that streetlight.”

The thief ignored her. If only he had a gun, he would’ve shot this nosy woman already.
As long as I run fast enough, she can’t catch me!

“This is your last warning! Right now—hands on your head, squat, and surrender! Or don’t blame me for what happens next!”

“Three… two… one!”

Thwip!

White webs shot from Gwen’s wrists, instantly gluing the thief’s feet together. She stepped forward, spun more webs, and had the man bound and hanging upside-down under a streetlight in seconds.

“Please don’t hang me! It’s just a new phone! And I’m afraid of heights!” the thief pleaded.

But Gwen didn’t care. After months of patrolling the city, she’d heard it all—every crook tried to win her sympathy.

The first time she’d tried to play hero, that sympathy had nearly gotten her killed. Lesson learned—she no longer hesitated.

Before the thief could beg again, she sealed his mouth shut with webbing, left him dangling, and used his own phone to send a text to the police.

Five minutes later, Police Captain George Stacy jumped out of his cruiser—only to find yet another thief strung up like laundry.

“Damn it, she got away again?” This was the sixth time this month that “Spider-Woman” had struck.

To George, the masked acrobat was no hero—she was a criminal vigilante, one the streets had mockingly dubbed “Spider-Man.”

“Chief, the webs are authentic—it’s definitely the same culprit,” an officer reported.

George’s scowl deepened.

“Chief, the suspect’s a bit dizzy. Should we take him to the hospital?”

“Tell him to dream on. He can go straight to jail!”

“Chief, he might sue us.”

“Let him! The head judge of the New York court’s an old classmate of mine!” George snapped, losing his temper.

Every time Spider-Man appeared, it felt like a slap in the face—a reminder of his own helplessness.

And the fact that the vigilante was a woman only made it worse. In his mind, she was an unruly girl who’d never been taught respect for the law.

Meanwhile, Gwen had no idea her father was fuming at her latest “crime scene.”

After finishing her patrol, she didn’t rush home. Instead, she perched atop the Empire State Building, gazing down at the glittering city below.

Ever since that day months ago—when she was bitten by a spider during a field trip to Oscorp and treated at Uchiha Medical Center—she’d developed a fondness for watching the city from above.

The transformation had awakened several strange abilities:

• Tiny bristles on her palms allowed her to cling to smooth surfaces.

• Her strength had increased dramatically, far beyond that of a normal human.

• Her speed was astonishing—she’d tested herself, and her 100-meter dash time crushed the world record.

And then came the strangest change—two new organs had formed on her wrists, functioning like spinnerets.
Just like a spider’s silk glands, except hers were located at her wrists instead of her abdomen.

At first, Gwen had been mortified—having weird little bulges on her wrists wasn’t exactly flattering. But over time, she’d grown to appreciate them. Having built-in, rechargeable ranged weapons was incredibly convenient.

And unlike guns, they didn’t jam or need cleaning—so long as Gwen had stamina, her webs never failed her.

After savoring the skyline for a while, Gwen finally swung home on her webs. She slipped out of her tight suit and into her normal clothes, blending seamlessly back into the life of a model student.

Her grades never suffered from her secret hero work—though her father’s blood pressure certainly had.

At the dinner table, Captain Stacy was being comforted by Gwen’s mother, who was growing tired of his rants.

“Come on, dear,” Mrs. Stacy said soothingly. “At least she’s catching criminals. She’s never hurt anyone innocent. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Spider-Man is a criminal! She has no legal authority! New York needs police—us!”

“Funny,” Mrs. Stacy shot back, “before Spider-Man showed up, you guys weren’t exactly catching everyone either. Why the obsession now?”

Her words left George speechless.

After all, in a city as big as New York—with deaths and crimes every single day—could the police really handle everything?

“Whatever the case, I’ll catch that Spider-woman thief!” George declared angrily.

Meanwhile, Gwen Stacy hid a quiet laugh behind her glass of milk.
If Dad ever found out that the ‘female thief’ he’s been chasing is his own daughter… oh, that would be priceless.