On the sunlit lawn at Empire State University, Peter Parker faced a crisis harder to handle than the Green Goblin.
Felicia had a tight hold on his left arm.
Gwen hugged his right arm to her chest.
"Parker, you promised me last night that you'd sit beside me in our first class today." Felicia wore a short white jacket, her blonde hair dazzling in the sunlight. She tipped up her chin. "I've already saved you a seat."
"When did I promise that?" Both sides tugged at Peter's shoulders, nearly stretching his face into a rectangle. "Besides, our first class is biostatistics. You don't even like that class."
"I like watching you get the calculations wrong."
"I've never gotten them wrong."
"Last week, you spilled coffee on your lab report." Gwen held him tighter, her voice still gentle. "That report ended up two pages short."
"That wasn't a calculation error. That was a liquid accidentally altering the structure of the paper."
Gwen gave him a look.
"See, Peter?" Felicia said at once. "He admits he has accidents."
"I didn't-"
Gwen and Felicia tightened their arms at the same time.
Peter's left shoulder had just taken a blow from a club in Osborn Tower, and his right ribs were still bandaged. When the two forces pulled, he nearly dropped to his knees on the lawn.
A pair of white eyes bulged out of the black substance at the side of Gwen's neck.
Bite her, Venom shouted excitedly in her mind. Use tendrils to throw that white-haired she-cat into the fountain! We can guarantee she'll look graceful when she hits the water!
Shut up, Gwen replied silently.
Then at least move her hand.
Shut up.
We believe she is stealing your mate.
The smile on Gwen's face didn't change, but her fingers pinched