Need a Dedicated Hero

Wasn't Chloe Lee the biological daughter Auntie Lin from the supermarket had diligently recommended to him? Although Richard had yet to meet her in person, he remembered the name.

It couldn't be such a coincidence that they just happened to have the same name, right...?

Richard decided that after work today, he would stop by and visit Auntie Lin. They were fairly close neighbors, after all. If something had happened to her daughter, it was only right to show some concern.

"If this is true, then your story isn't finished yet." Richard handed the draft back to Cathy. "Keep digging. You might uncover some major news."

"I think this is a waste of time." Editor-in-Chief Stewart continued to mutter stubbornly. "Vampires? Absolutely impossible."

Richard returned to his office, and a few minutes later, Jessica appeared with a stack of photos.

"Spider-Woman battles bank robbers?" Richard took the photos from her. This was good material. It was a classic slice of superhero life, close enough to everyday life that ordinary readers would surely eat it up. But when he picked up the photos and looked at them...

...What the hell were these?

There were robbers tied up like dumplings in spiderwebs, a car hanging in midair from webs, and this one... Richard stared at the photo for ages before barely finding a tiny black dot swinging away from the scene on a web between the gaps in the skyscrapers.

The thrilling superhero car-chase footage everyone loved? Sorry, none.

Then surely there was at least a close-up of the superhero? Sorry, none of that either. There was only one shot of her back, so distant that it looked like it needed a microscope to see.

Richard's face darkened. "Just say it. You expect me to print that photo?"

Jessica seemed to have expected his reaction. She put her hands on her hips and spread them in a pose that said, "I'm a deadbeat, so what?" "What was I supposed to do? That little brat ran off way too fast, and I was only passing by. I wasn't prepared at all. Do you know how long I had to run just to get that shot of her back?"

Thinking about it, Richard realized she was right. Spider-Woman could swing through the sky on webs, while Jessica, even as an enhanced human, still had to rely on her two legs. Expecting her to catch up really was asking too much.

In the original story, before Spider-Man came up with the brilliant idea of taking photos of himself for money, wasn't nobody able to get pictures of him either?

Come to think of it, the Daily Bugle had been able to keep using Spider-Man photos as its signature because Spider-Man himself worked for the paper. The same went for Superman at the Daily Planet next door. Richard himself was Ultraman, but he had no desire to become a superhero who ran all over the world every day. So, thinking about it that way, their newspaper seemed to be missing a resident superhero to serve as its trademark.

If they had a superhero exclusively for their paper...

Richard's gaze drifted, intentionally or not, onto Jessica.

Jessica felt a little uncomfortable under her boss's stare. "What is it?"

"Let me ask you something, Jessica." Richard looked utterly serious. "Would you be willing to devote yourself to our newspaper?"

Jessica jumped in fright and instinctively took a step back.

"Boss, let me make this clear first. You've helped me a lot, and I'm grateful, but don't even think about making any asshole requests. No way."

Richard rolled his eyes. "What are you even thinking? I mean, why don't you get yourself an outfit like Spider-Woman's, go out and fight crime, and remember to bring back a few selfies? Then all our future front pages will be taken care of."

Jessica froze for a moment and thought it over. This idea... actually seemed workable?

"Is there a commission?" she asked.

"Of course."

Jessica thought for a long while before finally shaking her head. "...Forget it. I don't think I'm ready. Really, I'm just someone who's a little stronger than average. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a hero at all."

"Not necessarily. You've never tried, so who knows?" Richard shrugged, but he did not press the issue. "If you don't want to, forget it. I was just throwing the idea out there."

Jessica stood there, looking like she wanted to say something but held herself back.

"What? Is there something else you want to say?"

"...No, nothing, Boss." Jessica shook her head and left the office.

Richard was right. There were indeed some things she had not said.

Some things she had to confirm for herself.

New York, Midtown High.

"Gwen, we're planning to check out the new mall over there tonight. Want to come with us?"

The pretty girl with short, golden hair turned around and gave the girls inviting her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I have something to do today."

"Going back to study overtime again?" One girl grabbed her arm. "It's the weekend. It's fine to take a day off once in a while. Besides, Gwen, your grades are already the best in the class. You don't need to work so hard."

"Sorry, I really do have something to do." The girl continued to refuse. "Next time. I'll definitely go with you next time."

The girls could only give up reluctantly.

Gwen Stacy had originally been an ordinary high school student, until she was bitten by a radioactive spider during a camping trip. From then on, she gained Spider-Sense that could foresee danger, the ability to cling to surfaces, and greatly enhanced speed and strength. After losing her best friend, Peter Parker, she learned the painful lesson that with great power came great responsibility. Thus, she donned a costume and became New York's friendly neighborhood Spider-Woman...

All right, but that was not a story that happened in this world.

Simply put, she was not this universe's Gwen Stacy. The Gwen of this world was still a little elementary school girl, whom she had rescued from a group of mysterious ninjas not long ago. She came from a parallel world and had become trapped in this one for certain reasons.

So she could only settle down nearby for the time being and attend Midtown High as a transfer student. (How did a girl from another world obtain legal identification? Good question. Maybe the writers of Spider-Verse would know the answer ==)

Gwen was not really an introverted girl, nor did she not want to go out with her classmates after school. She genuinely just did not have much time. After school, she still had to work to earn money...

Yes, although she was very strong and could swing between buildings, that did not directly solve her livelihood problems. After all, even the great Spider-Woman had to eat.

After school, Gwen headed straight to a restaurant, changed into a waitress uniform with practiced ease, and began working.

"Waitress, over here." A woman sitting by the window in a corner waved at her. "I'd like to order."

"Yes, ma'am." Gwen took out a notepad and pen as she walked over. "What would you like to ord... what???"

Gwen's expression froze for an instant.

The person sitting there with her legs crossed and waving at her was none other than Jessica Jones, whom she had met only once that night.