As they walked toward Gwen's house, they talked about the day's trip — though Gwen's mind was mostly filled with thoughts about her powers.
They reached her house within a few minutes.
"Since you didn't cook anything, just come eat at my place tonight," Gwen said.
Before Jack could answer, she reached out, caught his hand, and pulled him along with her like it was already decided.
"Hey — wait —" he started, but she didn't slow down.
They reached the front door, and Gwen pushed it open without knocking.
Helen looked up from inside almost immediately.
"You're late," she said, her tone casual but pointed, eyes settling on Gwen first.
"I was at Jack's house," Gwen replied, just as casually.
Helen's gaze shifted to Jack — quick and assessing — then back to Gwen. She didn't comment, just stepped aside to let them in.
"Mom, Jack didn't make dinner, so I told him to come here," Gwen added as she moved past her, already heading toward the stairs.
"That's fine," Helen said. "No problem."
Her eyes lingered for a second on Gwen's clothes. She knew immediately they weren't Gwen's, but she didn't say anything about it.
"Wait here — I'll be down in a minute. I'm gonna change," Gwen called over her shoulder as she went upstairs.
"Yeah, okay," Jack replied, stopping near the sitting room.
A small silence settled in once she was gone.
From the kitchen, Helen's voice came a moment later. "Dinner'll be ready in about half an hour."
"Alright," Jack said, though she was already out of sight.
Left on his own, he stepped into the sitting room and dropped onto the couch. After a second, he reached for the remote and turned on the TV, more for background noise than anything else.
A news channel came up.
"The serial killer operating near Hell's Kitchen has claimed another victim today," the anchor said, her voice steady. "Authorities have yet to make an arrest, and questions remain about what is being done to stop him."
Jack leaned back slightly, eyes on the TV but not really focused on it.
The Hell's Kitchen report wrapped up, and the screen shifted with a quick transition.
"Now to international coverage —"
A map flashed up.
"Violence continues in Iraq, where coalition forces reported another attack earlier today in...."
Clips rolled. Dusty streets, damaged buildings, soldiers moving through tight alleys. The footage looked rough, pulled from field cameras.
The anchor continued without pause.
"In Afghanistan, NATO officials have confirmed increased activity in the southern regions —"
Another cut. Mountains. Convoys pushing through uneven terrain.
Jack watched with little interest.
"Back in South Asia, tensions remain high following recent developments in Pakistan —"
A press briefing. Flashing cameras. Officials speaking over a wave of questions.
The segment moved on again.
"Back in the United States, the presidential race continues, with both campaigns ramping up efforts ahead of the upcoming election —"
Crowds cheering. Flags waving. Speeches blending into background noise.
Then the tone shifted slightly.
"And in other news — industrialist Tony Stark remains missing following his disappearance overseas."
The screen changed to old footage. A confident man stepping out of a car. Flashbulbs going off. Reporters crowding in.
Tony Stark.
"Stark Industries has yet to release any new information regarding his condition or location. The company has stated they are cooperating with authorities, but no confirmed updates have been provided."
Another clip. A press conference.
Obadiah Stane stood at a podium, face composed, voice controlled — but there was something under it. Fatigue, maybe. Or pressure.
"Tony is more than just the head of this company," Stane said, pausing briefly as cameras clicked. "He's… family."
He glanced down for a second, then back up.
"We're doing everything we can to bring him home safely. That hasn't changed."
A short pause.
"And until we have answers, all we can do is hope. Pray that wherever he is… he's still out there."
The footage cut back to the anchor.
"Stark Industries continues to operate under interim leadership, though concerns remain about the long-term impact of Stark's absence."
Watching Stane's sad expression on the screen, Jack leaned forward slightly. Oscar-level performance, he thought, his interest sharpening.
"BHOOM!"
Something slammed into him from behind.
Jack jerked forward, nearly coming off the couch before catching himself.
"What the —"
Gwen was already laughing.
"Haha — you should've seen your face!" she said, leaning against the back of the couch, clearly pleased with herself.
Jack pressed a hand to his chest, still catching up. "Seriously? You almost gave me a heart attack."
"Worth it," she shot back, grinning.
From the kitchen, Helen's voice carried in. "Dinner's ready! You two can stop trying to kill each other and come eat!"
"Coming!" Gwen called back.
Jack shook his head once, then stood up. "You're gonna regret that one later."
"Yeah, sure," she said, already heading toward the table.
They sat down, and Helen brought the food over, setting plates in front of them before taking her own seat.
"Did Mr. Stacy have work again today?" Jack asked, picking up his fork.
"Yeah. Late as usual," Helen replied, not sounding surprised. There was a faint edge to it, like this was a regular thing.
Jack nodded. "Busy schedule."
"Too busy," she muttered, then let it go.
She looked back at Jack. "So — how was your day?"
"Not bad," he said. "Nothing too crazy."
Gwen let out a small, quiet breath at that but didn't add anything.
The conversation settled into something easy after that. Small topics — school, random things, nothing serious. It felt normal.
Then Helen glanced between them and said, like it had just occurred to her — "So… are you two dating now?"
Gwen froze for half a second. "What? No — why would you even ask that?" she said, a little too fast.
Helen shrugged lightly. "You're wearing his clothes. I just connected the dots."
Gwen glanced down at herself, then away. "It's not like that."
"We're just friends," Jack added, calm.
"Mm-hmm." Helen gave a small smile. "Well, for what it's worth, George and I wouldn't have a problem with it if that ever changed."
Gwen didn't respond.
Helen paused, then added, completely straight-faced, "Just don't forget to use protection."
"Mom!" Gwen's face went red instantly.
Jack nearly choked on his drink.
Helen didn't react — just continued eating like she hadn't said anything unusual.
Gwen glanced sideways and caught Jack already looking at her. She turned away immediately, focusing very hard on her plate.
The rest of dinner passed a little quicker after that.
Afterward, Jack stood near the door, slipping his shoes back on.
"Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Stacy — it was really delicious," he said.
"Anytime," Helen replied from the kitchen. "You're welcome here."
Gwen walked him to the door, stopping just short of stepping outside.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said.
"Yeah. See you."
There was a brief pause — nothing awkward, just there.
Then Jack gave a small nod and headed off.
Gwen watched him for a second before turning back inside.
She'd barely taken a few steps when —
"Gwen."
She stopped.
Helen was standing near the hallway, arms loosely crossed.
"If you like him," she said quietly, her tone different from before, "you might want to make a move first."
Gwen frowned slightly. "What?"
"Before someone else does," Helen added, like it was obvious.
Then she turned and went back into the kitchen, leaving Gwen there.
Gwen didn't move right away. Her eyes drifted slightly, unfocused.
Do I like him?
She leaned back lightly against the wall and thought it through — not as a joke, not because her mom had said it. Actually thinking.
More than a friend?
She let the question sit there. Turned it over.
And after a while, she exhaled softly.
She genuinely didn't know.
But now she really wanted to test just what powers she had.
A/N: The Patreon version is already updated with 20 advanced chapters. If you'd like to read ahead of the public release schedule, you can join here:
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