Ultimate Spider-Woman: Change With the Light

Chapter 103: Night Of The Hunter

Gwen Stacy felt some mixed emotions as she scrolled through her Twitter feed. Her social media followings on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook continued to grow, she got a lot of steady modeling work over the last couple of weeks with companies like Vaughn-Pope Cosmetics and Kingsley Cosmetics, and she'd been corresponding with some of the directors who were planning productions for the summer theater season. The month of June had just started, and Mary Jane was confident she'd be busy until Empire State University's fall semester started in September.

At the same time, though, Gwen missed an important callback audition because she'd had to fight the supervillain Boomerang as the spectacular Spider-Woman, her superhero alter ego. The injuries Gwen suffered in the fight forced her to rest, much to her frustration. The callback audition was for the lead role in a movie that adapted the Italian Winx Club cartoon in a live action format. Gwen aced her initial audition, and she knew she'd have done even better at the callback if she hadn't gotten hurt as Spider-Woman.

It wasn't the first time being Spider-Woman had cost Gwen some choice acting or modeling work, and she doubted it'd be the last either.

Gwen didn't regret becoming Spider-Woman, and she was glad she'd been able to help so many people and do so much good with her powers.

Even so, she felt frustrated every time she thought of what it made her miss out on.

SPIDER-WOMAN #103

NIGHT OF THE HUNTER

"Three million dollars?" Kitty Pryde said, an incredulous look on her face as she contemplated what her cousin Ben Reilly had just told her.

"We don't know what happened to it," Ben said, his face etched with worry. "Somebody's robbing us blind, Kitty. It's driving Dad crazy-he can barely sleep with the stress. Mom isn't doing much better either."

Kitty grasped Ben's hand, wishing she could do more. They'd met for lunch at the Blue Star Restaurant when Ben texted Kitty and told her he needed to talk to someone. Ben told her all about the problems the Reillys were having. Money was mysteriously vanishing from their bank accounts, and neither the Reillys nor the police nor the banks could figure out what was happening to it, much less who or what was causing it to disappear.

"Has anyone threatened Uncle Andrew, or something like that?" Kitty asked. She knew that her uncle Andrew Reilly had made his share of enemies building up the family's fortune, but she couldn't imagine anyone who'd hate the Reillys enough to go after them like this.

"No!" Ben said as he started to shake. "That's the thing. Somebody just started embezzling money from us a couple of weeks ago! The police and the bank can't trace what happened to the money, or who did it. Those idiots told us there's nothing they can do! Bullshit!" he said, tearing his hand free of Kitty's and slamming his fist on the table they were sitting at.

"Ben, calm down!" Kitty said, grasping his hand again. Alarmed by Ben's outburst, she quickly stood up and hugged him, whispering reassurances into his ear. Much to her relief, Ben eventually calmed down and stopped shaking.

Although Ben was calm, now Kitty was the one feeling upset.

She didn't know why, but Ben's words filled her with dread.

Entry #1:

The money I've taken so far from the Reillys is a good start. It'll pay most of my initial expenses, including buying another image inducer from Mysterio and finding a place to stay.

It won't be enough, though. There's so much I have to do-constructing new equipment and a new costume (including the waistcoat in the new design)…acquiring the samples I need for my project…enlisting the appropriate help (willingness to help and adhere to the plan are considerations-Mister Sinister? Arnim Zola?)…training and mentally preparing my subject (need someone who is noted for discretion-the Tinkerer? The Fixer?)…and most importantly, deciding how and when to involve Spider-Woman.