Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With the Light

Chapter 80: Shades Of Grey

Being stressed and frustrated was hardly a new feeling for Gwen Stacy. Working diligently in the Empire State University computer lab on her homework, Gwen tried to focus on the controversies within feminism and its relations with the transgender community, but other thoughts kept crowding into her mind.

For one thing, there was the problems faced by one Nate Grey, the mutant youth with the immense psychic powers. He had trouble controlling his abilities, which had led to the deaths of his family when those powers had manifested. To make matters worse, he was fleeing for his life from the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, who intended to make him a living weapon. Despite Gwen's best efforts, she'd been unable to convince him to let the X-Men help him, and he was still convinced they would use him the same way the Brotherhood would.

There was also the issues relating to her boyfriend Randy Robertson. She hadn't seen Randy since the Fright Night Halloween parties, when she'd been captivated by the first sight she'd caught of Nate. Randy had noticed the way she'd been looking at him, and he'd been justifiably angry with her. Gwen still felt deeply ashamed about it, particularly when Randy had always been so supportive of her fighting crime as the spectacular Spider-Woman.

He hardly asks for anything, Gwen thought to herself, and a hell of a lot less than I ask of him. So, why do I…

She shook her head at that.

Don't be stupid, she reproached herself. Nate needs my help-if he doesn't feel like he can trust the X-Men, who else is he supposed to ask for help? Gwen wondered. And besides, God only knows what the Brotherhood will do if they get their filthy hands on him…

She sighed as she resumed typing.

They both deserve better than I've been giving them, Gwen realized. The problem is just the amount of homework I've had to deal with lately, she continued. Ever since school had resumed after midterm exams, Gwen's professors had been bombarding their students with an avalanche of assignments. Even when she'd had some free time, Gwen had been unable to get in touch with either Randy or Nate. When she tried to call Randy, he was always working at the radio station, when she tried to track Nate as Spider-Woman she ran into some kind of crisis that she had to stop and help with, and in every other case she was tied up with household chores that the rest of the Stacy family needed her to do.

And I haven't even done anything for finding any new acting work, or even for building up more of a social media profile, Gwen thought, as she closed the file.

It was only several seconds later that she realized that she had closed the file without saving any of the work she'd been doing for the last four hours, ignoring the system's questions about whether she wanted to save the work.

Groaning quietly as she put her face in her hands, Gwen realized that she would have to start the afternoon's work all over again.

Yeah…that's exactly what was missing, she thought to herself.

SPIDER-WOMAN #80

"SHADES OF GREY"

"I'm home!" Randy Robertson called out as he shut the door to his parents' townhouse behind him.

Putting down his bag with a sigh, Randy walked into the kitchen. He hadn't been in touch with his parents, or anyone else for that matter, much over the last couple of days. In between work and school, and other peoples' activities, Randy simply hadn't had the time to spare to talk even to his father Isaiah or his mother Louise.

Hence he brightened at the sight of his mother Louise coming to join him in the kitchen. He got out a second can of soup as he turned the oven on, greeting his mother brightly as she sat down at the table.