Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With the Light

Chapter 2: Change With the Light

Smile on my face
Like doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
I'm changing
I change with the light
Hiding away running from reality
Who am I
Am I an actor in this game?
-Ace of Base, "Change With the Light"

"You're never going to believe it, Gwen!" Liz enthused as she and Gwen Stacy met after their American History class that morning. "Take a look..."

Gwen raised an eyebrow at the copy of the Daily Globe, the Daily Bugle's main competition apart from the Times, that Liz handed her. The article was marked with the tagline Watch out, Spidey: There's a new webslinger in town!, and pictures of Spider-Woman in battle with the criminal Blizzard, culminating in the webbed-up criminal being arrested by the police. Glancing over the article, Gwen noted how it described the intensity with which Spider-Woman fought, and the damage she and Blizzard had nearly caused in their fight, with the debris flying everywhere.

"Cool, huh?" Liz asked Gwen as she took the paper back.

"The photographers definitely got her good side," Gwen answered, a grin on her face.

SPIDER-WOMAN #2

"CHANGE WITH THE LIGHT"

"You're in a good mood this morning," Liz noted.

"Hmm?" Gwen started. "Oh, I was just thinking about something funny I saw on TV a while back...it's nothing."

"Now I know we're in the Twilight Zone," Liz laughed. "Since when would Gwen Stacy smile at something funny, much less laugh about it?"

Instantly, Gwen shifted uncomfortably.

"Look, it's nothing, alright?"

"Good thing Harry didn't see that smile," Liz grinned, "or else he'd be going after you in a heartbeat!"

"What?!" Gwen balked. "He'd better not be cheating on you. That two-timing son of a-"

"Whoa, whoa, Gwen!" Liz said hastily, raising her hands to calm her friend down. "I was just kidding!"

"...Sorry," Gwen muttered. "I didn't mean to go off like that."

"Are you okay?" Liz asked, a note of concern in her voice. "You seem kind of stressed lately."

"It's nothing," Gwen said calmly. "Can we just drop it?"

"Sure...sure," Liz said reassuringly.

"Being a drama queen again, Stacy?" Felicia Hardy's piercing, cat-like voice rang out mockingly across the hallway as its owner strolled down the hallway towards Gwen and Liz.

"Get lost, Felicia," Liz spat in disgust. "Lost without your hangers-on?"

"At least I respond when they ask me out," Felicia smirked. "Jealous, Stacy?"

"Of the girl who dated Harvey Broxtel back at Midtown?" Gwen's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, like I could ever be jealous of her."

For a moment, Felicia's eyes flared, before they calmed again.

"Harvey had some serious problems," Felicia noted dryly, "but at least I actually dated some of the guys when they asked me out. I heard about the way you blew Kenny off Saturday night at the club. Still too good for the rest of us?"

"Oh, and what would you know about it?" Gwen demanded heatedly, her voice rising. "At least I have standards...it's not like I was the one pawing Flash Thompson when-"