Chapter 385: Gwen!
Silas found the scene quite amusing. Did Strange think he was Thor? Did he expect Silas to smash the glass after a "good" drink?
"I'm heading out." Without the Ancient One's philosophical "chicken soup for the soul," Silas felt a bit bored. He stood up to leave.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Strange said, waving his hand. His cloak in the air gave a little wiggle in farewell.
"See ya." Silas opened a shadow portal and returned to school, wondering if he could still make it to class.
"What do you think of him, Wong?" Strange asked as he watched Silas's back disappear.
Wong picked up Silas's used teacup and rinsed it with fresh water. "I think he's much more impressive than you are, Strange."
"I didn't ask you that," Strange replied, speechless.
School
Silas crept to the classroom door and saw the teacher mid-lecture. He was officially late.
"Sigh~ late even while at school," Silas muttered, leaning his forehead against his palm.
Inside, Wanda sensed Silas's presence and looked back. Seeing him standing there with nothing to do, she immediately understood the situation. She subtly flicked her fingers, using her Chaos Magic to momentarily alter everyone's perception, placing them in a brief illusion.
"Silas~" Wanda whispered, turning her head.
Silas noticed the teacher and students were in a daze. Hearing Wanda's call, he knew she had made a move.
"Thanks," Silas whispered as he slipped back into his seat.
"Don't mention it," Wanda replied, propping her head up with a smile.
Suddenly, everyone regained consciousness. No one seemed surprised to see Silas. In their fabricated memories, Silas had been in the classroom the whole time. Only Peter gave Silas a suspicious side-glance.
The rest of the day was uneventful. No villains came looking for Spider-Man. Peter didn't skip class either, remaining a diligent student. However, word got around that the school was organizing a camping trip tomorrow, supposedly to help students "move past the shadow" of the recent incidents.
To Silas, it seemed unnecessary—they'd had a week off, how much more "healing" did they need? But he was more than happy to go on a trip. It was optional, as it was purely for leisure with no homework assigned. Of course, there was a fee; school wasn't a charity.
"So cool! Camping tomorrow!" Silas and Ned were excited.
Speaking of Ned, things were looking up for Friday. After hearing about the situation, Stark had used his connections to get a cellular repair machine. After removing the foreign object from her body, the machine repaired her damaged cells. Friday had been pulled back from the brink of death and was currently recovering in the hospital. Ned had finally returned to his usual cheerful self.
"Are you guys coming to the camping trip?" Silas asked the group.
"Of course. I'll show you all my wilderness survival skills," Felicia said proudly.
"Give it a rest, Felicia. Just try not to fall behind when the time comes," Gwen teased.
"Yeah, Felicia," Misty laughed.
Hearing the laughter, Ned patted his chest. "Rest assured, I am a seasoned camping expert."
"Really, Ned? I've never seen a camping expert quite as... well-fed as you," Peter immediately ribbed him.
"Tch, that's just your lack of experience." Ned had actually lost some weight recently. He was determined to be in perfect shape by the time Friday was healthy enough to be discharged.
"Um... can I join?" Wanda hesitated but finally approached the group.
"Of course, Wanda. Have a seat." Misty generously pulled out a chair for Wanda—and then promptly sat herself down on Silas's lap.
In an instant, the smile in Felicia's eyes turned cold. Misty, you calculating woman! Wanda also felt a pang of regret. If she'd known, she wouldn't have asked Misty; now she had to watch Misty sit on Silas. She took the chair and sat down gloomily.
"So, Wanda, how did you meet Silas?" Misty decided to probe Wanda's background. After the "Black Cat" incident, she suspected everyone had a secret identity.
"Me? I was traveling and ran into an emergency. Silas happened to pass by and helped me," Wanda said. She had rehearsed this lie last night. Her identity as the Scarlet Witch had to remain a secret.
"Is that so? Could you tell us the details? I'm quite curious," Misty said, her smile looking rather dangerous. She could tell Wanda was lying. While her voice was steady, her shifting eyes betrayed her.
"Ah... well..." Wanda hadn't expected Misty to dig deeper. Pietro, you're dead! she thought. Pietro had helped her come up with the excuse, confidently claiming no one would ask for details.
"What's wrong, Wanda? Is it hard to talk about?" Misty's suspicion grew.
"No, it's just... the details are a bit boring, so I'd rather not go into it," Wanda said, unable to come up with a follow-up lie on the spot.
Misty nodded thoughtfully. She's out of excuses. Felicia noticed it too. Wanda was another rival, though she seemed far less cunning than Misty. Wanda looked easy to handle—little did they know she was actually the most powerful person in the room.
"I'll see you all tomorrow, then." Gwen had to accompany her father, George, to a party tonight.
"I'll walk you out. You guys have fun chatting," Peter said, not wanting to miss a moment of alone time with Gwen.
"I'm off too. Heading to the hospital to check on Friday," Ned said, grabbing his bag.
Soon, only Silas and his three "close" friends remained in the classroom.
"We should go too," Misty smiled.
"Together!" Felicia and Wanda said in unison.
Outside School
"You didn't really have to walk me out," Gwen said, smiling back at Peter.
"It's fine. Besides, the conversation back there was wrapping up." Peter scratched his head. "By the way, did you like the... uh, boxing gloves I sent?"
"Heh, I think they're great," Gwen laughed. "I just didn't expect you to get me something like that."
"Why? Do you not like them?" Peter asked nervously. He'd only bought them after seeing them in her online shopping cart.
"No, I'm just surprised you knew. Most guys just give girls makeup." Gwen saw how nervous he was and giggled; she enjoyed seeing him flustered.
"As long as you like them," Peter sighed in relief. "I figured since Captain Stacy is the Police Commissioner, his daughter might be into combat sports too."
"I'm impressed," Gwen said, looking at him in a new light. She had thought he was a bit clumsy, but he was actually quite attentive.
They reached a black SUV. "I'm off, then~" Gwen waved and got in.
"See you tomorrow," Peter waved back.
As the car started to pull away, a sudden sonic boom echoed behind Peter. A dark shadow streaked over his head. The Vulture looked back and gave Peter a chilling smile before chasing after Gwen's SUV.
Seeing the Vulture's grin, Peter's heart skipped a beat.
"Gwen!"
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