Spider-Gwen || Caught in a Web

Speaks for Itself || Gwen Stacy

"Hold the line, love isn't always on time"

-Hold the Line, Toto

Pretty much nothing had happened yet, and already Gwen was on pins and needles. Her foot seemed to be bouncing on the ground, tapping anxiously as she looked around at all the high-profile faces chatting in the plaza. Some of New York City's finest scientific minds... all gathered to hear Dr. Curtis Connors's official announcement of what he'd been working on with Oscorp since his gruesome injury.

"You look terrified." Peter chuckled, adjusting his glasses as Gwen looked over at her friend. 

"Terrified?" She repeated, blinking rapidly. "I wouldn't say terrified... I would say more so the jumpy feeling that you get when you're surrounded by a bunch of people that can make or break your future career. Oh, and when you want to make a good impression on them to jumpstart career. And..." One knowing glance from Peter, and Gwen took a deep breath. "...Sorry."

Peter laughed lightly, looking up at the podium where Dr. Connors had not yet appeared. "It's hilarious that you're still worried that you won't get that internship." He noted, turning his attention back to Gwen after a moment. "You were already such a strong candidate... now that Dr. Connors is doing his 'side quest' with Oscorp? It's practically a done deal." Gwen didn't share Peter's idyllist vision of the situation, sighing to herself as her arms folded over her chest.

"Gwen, even if you WEREN'T the best candidate-which you are-they're still selecting five high school students interested in a career in science." Peter reminded her, his eyebrows lifting as Gwen's averted his vision, knowing where he was going with this. "You really want to tell me that you're not one of the five smartest high schoolers in the area-?" 

"Smart doesn't have anything to do with it." Gwen murmured, trying to deflect the praise while she looked at the ground. Of course, there was a lot more than just intelligence that Oscorp considered when picking their candidates, she knew that. But... it didn't hurt that she'd fought to maintain as good a GPA as she could, right?

Gwen's shoulders began to loosen, and she breathed out, trying to relax. "Sorry for freaking out, this is... this is a lot." She admitted, looking out at the crowd of people that had all found a seat. Gwen was lucky that Peter had been able to get her a last-minute seat to this event... once again, she owed her friend, big-time. As she looked over at Peter again, something by his hairline caught her attention... she frowned, noticing a faint red line on his forehead. "Geez, Pete, what'd you do?" Gwen asked, earning a confused look from Peter. 

"Hmm? Oh-" He quickly ruffled his hair, trying to get the scar covered up as he looked away. "-Nothing, just-" His reaction told Gwen everything. 

She sighed softly, a sympathetic look in her eyes. "Flash Thompson again?" Upon hearing the name of his high school nemesis, Peter's eyes slowly shut. That reaction told Gwen everything she needed to know.

Of all the jerks at Midtown High, Flash Thompson had to be the worst. And no, this wasn't just because he played Gwen like an absolute fiddle a few years back, it was more so his method of rubbing salt in the wound-bullying her friends to no end. It wasn't just Peter he went after... nasty comments had been tossed towards MJ and Felicia, and even Peter's buddy Miles Morales. Of course, the school faculty did next to nothing to stop him, and Gwen couldn't showcase her powers and out herself as the mystery vigilante by throwing him through a brick wall, so they were kind of stuck.

"I swear, Pete, one of these days I'm going to web him up to the top of the Empire State Building and leave him there for the birds." Gwen growled, her blood boiling at every thought of Flash's incessant and sometimes violent narcissism.