Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With the Light

Chapter 38: System Crash

However much Gwen Stacy might have enjoyed the Fright Night Halloween party she'd attended with her friends, that enjoyment had been thoroughly spoiled when she'd investigated a series of mysterious murders in her costumed heroic identity as the spectacular Spider-Woman. She'd learned all too well the horrifying truth behind the murders, and the sickening part Felicia Hardy had played in them. The fact that Gwen couldn't prove anything about Felicia's sickening crimes, thus ensuring she'd never face justice for what she'd done, infuriated Gwen to no end.

Of course, with the month of November now in full swing, the problems in Gwen's personal life had come back into her life front and centre. Empire State University's professors had now corrected their students' midterm exams, and the students were now anticipating their exam results half in hope, half in dread. Gwen was decidedly more on the dread side-everything she'd had to deal with, ranging from her efforts to find better-paying modeling and acting work to the problems she encountered as Spider-Woman, had prevented her from getting as much studying done as she wanted. One particular encounter with Moonstone had been especially bad-Gwen had been so exhausted from the injuries she'd suffered in her battle that she hadn't been able to finish her Biology exam, and while resting after the fight and the test she ended up sleeping half the day away and missing her English exam altogether.

Asusual, the old Stacy luck is running true tof orm,Gwen thought glumly as she walked up the steps of the Arthur Miller Building for her morning Drama class.

SPIDER-WOMAN #38

"SYSTEM CRASH"

The C-plus Gwen got on her Drama exam turned out to be the good news. Over the course of the day, Gwen found that she'd gotten a D-plus on her History exam, a D-average on her Chemistry exam, and a zero on her English exam. Although her English class wasn't scheduled for today, she still stopped by to see Professor Huddleston during his office hours and get his exam from him personally.

Now, making her way to the Erskine Building to visit Dr. Curt Connors, Gwen was wondering how she'd possibly be able to explain her terrible grades to her mother. Helen Stacy had been doing so much better since she'd gotten the therapy she so sorely needed, but Gwen was afraid of dragging her down again with any bad news. That made Gwen feel terrible by itself, but what frustrated her all the more was that she'd had to become Spider-Woman in order to try and stop Moonstone from stealing the Enervator machine.

AndIcouldn'tevendothat right,Gwen cursed herself as she knocked on Dr. Connors' office door. Entering at his call, Gwen saw that the Doctor was the same as he always was. Dressed in a rumpled cardigan sweater, formal dress shirt and pants, and his formal dress shoes, Dr. Connors cut a distinguished academic figure seated at his desk and surrounded by the scientific journals and books that made up his life's passion behind him.

"Gwen," Dr. Connors nodded in response to her greeting, frowning heavily as she sat down. "I take it you're here for your exam?"

"Yes, I am," Gwen replied, as Dr. Connors nodded and sighed. Searching through the pile of corrected exams on his desk, Dr. Connors selected one and handed it to her with a disapproving look on his face. Gwen's heart sank when she saw the look on his face, and then it fell even further when she saw the F he'd marked on it in red ink.

"I..." Gwen trailed off.

"Suffice to say that I'm very disappointed in you, Gwen," Dr. Connors shook his head. "Several students have had trouble in this class, but you haven't even seemed to try! The quality of your work has been well below what I would have expected. I know you're smart enough to get the material, but what I can't tell is why you aren't putting in a good enough effort."

Gwen hesitated, her stomach turning in knots as she tried to figure out what to say.

"I don't have as much time to study as I'd like," she finally ventured. "I have to do a lot of extra work to pay for rent and food and things like that."