Chapter 7: Gwen Stacy
When Lance Ryder first returned to Earth, he hadn't noticed anyone watching Betty Ross.
It wasn't until several days later that people began appearing nearby.
Their attention wasn't directed at Lance.
But Lance knew very well that even if they weren't deliberately investigating him, his identity would inevitably attract scrutiny.
Still, he wasn't particularly concerned.
With the preparations he had made, even agents from S.H.I.E.L.D. would find it extremely difficult to uncover anything about him.
Everything had been arranged too carefully.
The speed of those arrangements had also surprised him.
Within just a few days, the connections in the Netherlands had already secured his identity. Even Empire State University had been handled smoothly.
That meant someone connected to his network must have influence at the upper levels of the university.
But that was Lance's personal matter.
Now that Bruce Banner had appeared, Lance finally understood the real reason for the surveillance.
General Ross must have confirmed that Bruce Banner had returned to the United States.
Because of that, he placed people around his daughter.
Ross knew that after Banner returned, he would eventually come to see Betty Ross—even if it was only from a distance.
At that moment, however, Betty Ross no longer cared whether she was being watched.
She rushed back into the bakery and urgently questioned Stan about Bruce Banner.
Lance followed behind her at a relaxed pace.
He already knew something Betty didn't—
Bruce Banner hadn't gone far.
He was hiding somewhere nearby, unwilling to reveal himself.
Lance didn't expose that fact.
Stan himself clearly hoped that Betty Ross and Bruce Banner would reunite.
Under Betty's relentless questioning, he finally gave her Banner's contact information.
The moment she received it, Betty rushed out without hesitation.
Stan turned to Lance in surprise.
"You're not going after her?"
"Why would I?" Lance replied calmly.
"From that moment earlier… she and I have nothing to do with each other."
He pointed to the cake sitting on the counter.
"My cake. I already paid for it."
Although Stan looked confused, he still handed over the strawberry cake Lance had ordered.
Just as Lance reached the door, he suddenly paused.
Turning back, he said quietly,
"If you really want to help those two reunite, you should probably warn them."
"General Ross has people watching."
The color drained from Stan's face.
He knew Betty Ross was likely under surveillance.
But in his desire to help the two meet again, he had still told her where to find Banner.
If Ross's men discovered Banner because of that…
The consequences could be disastrous.
Stan hurriedly grabbed the phone and began dialing.
Lance had no interest in what happened next.
Was he supposed to watch Bruce Banner and Betty Ross reunite in front of him?
After all, he had maintained a certain intimate relationship with Betty only moments earlier.
As Lance himself had said—
Their relationship ended the instant Bruce Banner appeared.
There had never been real feelings between them.
Their connection was no different from countless casual relationships in modern cities.
If anything, Lance joked to himself, Bruce Banner might be the one who had been "cheated on."
Of course, Banner's physical condition made things far more complicated.
Even if he and Betty reunited emotionally, their relationship could never return to normal.
The moment Banner lost control—
The Hulk would appear.
And once that happened, no one could predict the outcome.
Lance didn't dwell on it.
With a suitcase in one hand and the cake in the other, he walked toward the East Village, just two blocks away.
Empire State University was nearby. Even walking, the trip took less than twenty minutes.
Over the past few days, Lance had stayed mostly on campus while researching historical developments.
He hadn't yet visited the apartment he had purchased.
Now that everything here was settled, it was finally time to move in.
At first, Lance had assumed he had bought a unit inside a residential building.
But when he arrived, he realized something unexpected.
It was an entire row of three-story townhouses, all built in the same architectural style.
And one of them belonged to him.
The buildings looked somewhat old.
The classic American red-brick walls had faded with age, and the electrical wiring inside and outside looked messy.
If not for their neat arrangement, the houses wouldn't have looked much different from aging residential blocks.
Lance checked the number on the key and walked toward the house located deeper along the street.
When he stopped in front of it, he frowned slightly.
Several bullet holes were visible on the exterior wall.
And parked outside the neighbor's house to the right was a police car.
Lance immediately formed an unpleasant guess.
No wonder the house had been sold so quickly—and at such a low price.
"Ah… America," he muttered.
"Gunfights every day."
Still, the house was already his.
The next step would be gradual repairs and renovations.
First, however, he needed to see the interior.
Just as Lance unlocked the door and stepped inside, the neighbor's door opened as well.
He paused and glanced over.
A middle-aged police officer wearing a white uniform stepped outside.
From inside the house, a girl's voice called out.
"Dad, you forgot your bag!"
"Alright. Go back inside," the officer replied.
He took the bag and nodded politely to Lance.
His smile was friendly, but he didn't stop to chat.
Instead, he headed straight toward the police car parked nearby.
From this brief exchange, Lance quickly pieced together the situation.
His neighbor was a police officer.
The bullet holes probably came from someone seeking revenge against the officer.
That incident must have frightened the previous residents, prompting them to sell their homes quickly.
Which, in turn, had allowed Lance's people to purchase this property without difficulty.
After entering his house, Lance examined the interior.
Dark red patterned wallpaper covered the walls, giving the place a slightly gloomy atmosphere.
Once he turned on the lights, the room looked much better.
The furniture and lighting fixtures were old.
That explained why the property hadn't been expensive despite its good location.
Renovation would require significant work.
Still, that suited Lance perfectly.
If he was going to remodel the house anyway, he could incorporate some special designs of his own.
The previous owner had left in a hurry.
Many belongings remained, and the refrigerator was still full.
Lance simply discarded the useless items and kept what he needed.
A full renovation would come later.
For now, he just needed the house to be livable.
After cleaning up, taking a shower, and preparing to enjoy the cake he had bought earlier, there was a knock on the door.
Standing outside was the neighbor's daughter.
She was a beautiful blonde girl holding a plate of cherries.
The moment Lance opened the door, she smiled brightly.
"Hi! I'm your neighbor. I saw you cleaning earlier. Did you just move in?"
"Yes," Lance replied calmly.
"I moved in today. I'll be renovating soon, so I hope the noise won't bother you."
"That's alright," the girl said cheerfully.
"It's always nice to meet new neighbors."
She handed him the plate.
"Here. A little welcome gift."
"My name is Gwen Stacy. You can just call me Gwen."
"I was accepted into Empire State University this summer."
Lance nearly froze.
Gwen Stacy?
He forced a polite smile.
Taking the cherries, he said,
"That's quite a coincidence."
"I'm also starting at Empire State University this year. Classes begin in a few days."
Empire State University operated with four semesters each year.
Students could enroll at multiple times throughout the year, including the early summer session.
Lance had chosen to start at the end of June.
"You're a freshman too?" Gwen asked with surprise.
Although Lance looked young, there was something mature in his eyes.
She had assumed he was older.
Still, older freshmen weren't unusual.
So she simply asked,
"Didn't you want to take a little time off before starting?"
"What would I do with time off?" Lance replied with a faint grin.
"Studying is more interesting than resting."
He extended his hand.
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself properly."
"My name is Daniel Zhou."
"I'm from the Netherlands."
"Oh!" Gwen said, shaking his hand.
"That explains it."
As the daughter of a police captain, Gwen understood certain things better than most people her age.
People tended to gather around shared identities.
Students, hometown connections, professions—
Those labels created networks of support.
The strength of a group was often far greater than that of an individual.
Since Lance and Gwen had only just met, their conversation didn't last long.
Soon, Lance closed the door and returned inside.
But the moment he was alone, his expression turned grim.
Betty Ross.
Gwen Stacy.
These were names deeply embedded in the history of the Marvel universe.
Meeting Betty Ross might be dismissed as coincidence.
Through her, encountering Bruce Banner made sense.
But now—
He had also met Gwen Stacy.
And through Gwen Stacy, one inevitably encountered Peter Parker.
Which meant more superheroes.
More events.
More entanglements.
Lance's eyes narrowed.
This couldn't simply be luck.
Someone was manipulating events behind the scenes.
And there was only one person capable of doing so without leaving any trace.
Odin.
The All-Father of the Nine Realms.
Only Odin possessed the power to manipulate fate so silently.
Lance clenched his teeth in frustration.
First Betty Ross.
Now Gwen Stacy.
Through them came Bruce Banner, Peter Parker, and countless other heroes.
What exactly was Odin trying to accomplish?
Lance hated the feeling of losing control over his own destiny.
Once, he had even managed to obtain the Cosmic Cube before the Red Skull.
But knowing Heimdall was always watching it, he had chosen to abandon it temporarily.
Later, when he tried to retrieve it after World War II—
Heimdall had used the Cube itself to exile him to Jotunheim.
And now…
Someone was manipulating his path again.
This time, it wasn't Heimdall.
It was Odin.
Lance's expression darkened.
What exactly was the All-Father planning?
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