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2 Months Later. . .
Wednesday, December 7th
Queens, NY
3:55pm

As Peter and Madeline walked hand in hand down the streets of Queens, they passed by many opened shops. They all had certain smells coming from a mile away—one of them was at a Starbucks, serving the seasonal pumpkin spice lattes.

The two took a stop at the famous coffee shop, feeling quite parched of the long walk they had from school. They sat down at a table with large paneled windows next to it, enjoying the warmth the store provided for them.

The outside world of New York had become quite chilly, so Madeline dressed herself today in a pair of white-washed jeans, an oversized white sweater, and a thick maroon coat. On her hand, was her gum ball ring she never took off.

Peter had on a similar outfit for the weather: blue jeans, worn down shoes, a blue flannel over top a plain t-shirt, and an army green jacket.

The two sat across from each other, enjoying their hot drinks they ordered, both being a hot chocolate, and messing around with filters on Snapchat. Their conversation had eventually led them from their most annoying pet peeves, to talking about the Mandela effect.

That was one of their favorite thing of their relationship so far, the fact that they could just talk about any silly or random thing and the other person would just jump in on the topic. Madeline was definitely a pro when it came to talking to other people. Peter? Not so much.

But once the two get a conversation going between them, it could last forever. Even when texting or calling each other, they would go on and on for hours.

Peter just loved talking to his girlfriend, he adored the tone of her voice whenever she'd get passionate about something she was interested in, this case, being Star Wars theories. At times, he would even try to tease her just so he could keep hearing her voice as she spoke.

When the couple finally finished their drinks, they decided to head to Madeline's apartment for a study session. Not like they needed it though, they were two genius Einsteins for their own good.

It wasn't long until Peter reached the girl's apartment, just a block away from the Starbucks they previously hung out at. Once he entered the too fancy lobby, his breath was taken away. Everything from the marble tile floors to crystal chandeliers on the ceiling must've been at least over a thousand dollars.

Peter wasn't surprised at the interior though, where else could he have expected a multi-billionaire and his daughter to live?

Madeline dragged the boy along, his mouth hanging wide open as he stared at the huge fireplace by the sitting area in the lobby.

The lady at the front desk looked strangely over at the gasping boy, causing Madeline to wave over at her with an embarrassed smile.

"You've seen this place already, I don't know why you're so surprised, Pete," The girl says, dragging Peter along by his hand to the enormous elevators.

"I've been here once, and it's still so freaking awesome," The boy says in awe, making Maddie giggle as she presses the up button.

She waits patiently for the elevator to come down, now glancing over to see Peter nodding his head in certainty.

"Yup," he says confidently, "I'm gonna live here after college."

He turns toward Maddie with his lips pulled in and his brows pointed up to the sky, still nodding. But all the girl does is scoff in amusement, her eyes twinkling with stars.

"Really~?"

"Mhm. You never know, one day I'll end up swooping down, doing Spider-duty, and saving a really famous person. Then maybe they'll give me a reward or something in cash!"

Madeline tried to hold back her laughs, but ultimately fails as she tried to cover up her mouth.

"Or check, I'll accept those too," Peter continues with a smug smirk. He crosses his arms, leaning a shoulder up against one of the elevator doors. His actions make Madeline shake her head, denying the insane fantasy of Peter saving a celebrity and gaining money from it. But hey, there's always a maybe.

But what the boy doesn't notice is the elevator making a ding sound, signaling that the doors were opening—and they were.

He still had the proud look on his face, even when ended up tripping forward as the elevator doors slides open.

Peter catches himself from falling, but not without stumbling just a little. His heart dropped down to his chest, trying to pick itself back up again. Madeline couldn't contain her giggles anymore and she bursts out laughing at the terrified look Peter had the moment he tripped.
The 'cool guy' facade had failed.

Peter was now inside the elevator, adjusting his backpack straps. He blushes, hating the laughs he's getting from his girlfriend.

"Alright, alright, c'mon," he urges Maddie inside the elevator, trying to forget what just happened.

The girl goes in, pressing the button to her apartment floor while ceasing her giggles.

"That was so graceful."

"Yeah, like a clumsy swan," Peter remarks sadly, leaning against the elevator railing with a hand on the back of his neck.

"Aw," She chuckles and wraps her arms around his torso, "Good thing I love swans then." The girl rests her chin on Peter's chest so that she was looking directly up at him in admiration. Peter hugs embraces her back. He tilts his head, perplexed on why a swan—of all things—would be her favorite.

"You do?"

"Mhm. Swan Lake was my all time favorite ballet as a kid, Mom would take me to see it every year around my birthday. And like all the little girls back then, I wanted to be a ballerina with my own pair of slippers."

Peter's eyebrows raise as he looks at her in disbelief, "I learn something new about you everyday."

Madeline blushes pink while smiling sweetly, revealing a bit of her pearly teeth, "I-It was just a phase—nothing surprising, really."

"Oh. So you don't want to be a dancer?"

"Nooo way. I suck."

"Nah, you'd be awesome at it I bet. I've seen you, remember?"

Madeline thinks back to a few months ago on Halloween where the two had a blast spinning and jumping around an around his apartment to music. Those were one of the many beloved memories she'll always remember.

"Yeah. ." she says thoughtfully, "but I don't know. It's too late to start now. Besides, I already plan on defying my father's wishes on taking over the business for studying medicine, so why add to the list."

"Woah, wait, you seriously want to go into medical? Like, for real?"

"Yeah, why not. It could prove useful in the future for when your crawling through my window most likely inured again."

Peter squeezes his eyes shut and chuckles in guilt, his chest rising and falling as the girl smiles against it.

"I guess so. But. . .you know. . .you shouldn't have to worry about me every time I go out with the little guy. You have enough on your plate as is."

The girl pulls away from the embrace to look up at Peter.

"Well, that sucks because I actually do every time you go out saving people, doing dangerous things. November, for example, I visited and found you with a bullet wound that had nicked your arm and it needed patching up! You even tried to hide it away from me! I mean—?!" She scoffs in disbelief.

Peter had looked like he wanted to interrupt, opening his mouth to say something in his defense. But Madeline wasn't finished with her part yet.

"However," she says slowly and clearly, "it would make me feel better if I could see or hear from you afterwards to make sure you're still in one piece and breathing. So yes, I will be going into medicine for your health but also for my sanity and that's that."

After a moment of the boy looking like he wanted to oppose, he ultimately sees that Maddie was dead serious on her college pathway. It was her choice after all, with what she wanted to do with her studies, so there was really nothing he could do. And maybe having someone to finally rely on for medical assistance after a fight would be nice. As long as she stayed away from the actual fight, he'd be fine with it.

"Okay. As long as your happy doing it, that's all I care about," Peter then shrugs, "But what if something happens?"

The girl doesn't hesitate to give him a confused gaze with her beautiful sky blue irises.

Peter continues, "This stuff, it could get even more dangerous and the last thing I want is for something to happen to you—like with Staffer at the party."

"Listen, nothing like that will ever happen again, I promise.

The boy looks unsure. How could she know if someone is planning to take her away from him? Maybe even for good? She's the daughter of a genius scientist with more money than Peter imagined, there were bound to be more people with the same intentions as the man at the party.

"Pete," Madeline catches his attention, snapping him out of his doubt, "That man was insane. He didn't know what he was doing. He sounded like he was torn apart from something that was taken from him a long time ago. But all that doesn't matter now. He's gone—in jail where he should be," she smiles sweetly, "Thanks to you. You saved me, alright?"

Their moment is interrupted when they finally arrive on Maddie's floor to her apartment. The elevator doors slide open with a ding and the girl looks over her shoulder to see her familiar empty hallway lined with many doors.

She makes a move to walk out, now holding onto Peter's hand, but she's stopped when the teen doesn't move from his place.

Peter was standing there frozen in the elevator, his wide gaze staring down at the tiled floor. He looked like he just figured out one of Einstein's unsolved equations by the shocked expression on his face.

Madeline looks back at him, confused on why he wasn't moving, "What? What's wrong- -"

"- -Ashley!" He says to Madeline, now pointing a finger at her. Now she was much more confused than what she was before.

She squints her eyes, "No, I'm pretty sure that's not my name. .?"

"No, no, Ashley Paterson. She was Dominic Staffer's wife! Sh-She had a nickname too! Uh—"

"—Bluebell. . .?"

Peter looks up from the ground, catching her drift and nodding his head in haste. He then lets go of Maddie's hand and steps out of the elevator before the doors were about to close. He then fumbles with his backpack, zipping it open and sifting through the many homework pages and assignments for school.

Madeline peeks over his opened bag, spotting the red and blue Spider-Man suit he always carried around folded up inside a textbook. She had to refrain from grinning—happy to see the famous suit her boyfriend would wear every night to swoop around the city.

Peter suddenly pulls out a couple of sheet of paper, staples neatly with a picture of a woman paper clipped to the corner. He hands the papers to Madeline, closing his backpack also.

She looks it over, immediately recognizing the organization of what seemed to be a patient file under the logo, Oscorp Industries.

She scanned her eyes over the picture of a lady. She had brandy-colored hair and piercing green eyes. She was pictured from the shoulders going up, looking over to something off camera to her left. The lady had to be on the age lines of forty—she had faded eye and mouth wrinkles spotting her face.

Under the picture was her full name, her nickname, her height, her weight, her date of birth, and her living status that read: Alive.

"Peter. .where did you get this?" She asks while reading.

The boy rubs the back of his neck with one hand while the other makes nervous gestures as he tries to find an excuse, "Tha—uh—well, funny story actually. U-Um, you see, I actually- -"

"- -Wait, hold on," she holds up the paper closer to her face, inspecting every single detail below the patient information:

- - - Ashley (Bluebell) Hyland Paterson - - - -
         Pt lab #15
<Status> Alive
< Blood Donator > Current
<Type> B

Any known disease(s) or illness?: Yes
(If so, list here): Muscular Dystrophy
Special deformities or genetic disorders?: Yes
(If so, list here): DNA causes blood cells to rapidly enhance process of tissue rebuild

Patient notes given by Dr:
Day 1 of submittance— Pt was willing to start cellular extraction ASAP. Once blood sample extracted, it was found that the Pt was able to rebuild tissue wound and regenerate numerous amounts of red blood cells. Further testing is in order.

Day 6 of submittance—Pt shows sign of exhaustion, nausea, sweating, and fever after regen. Further extraction is in order.

Day 18 of submittance—Pt has shown more signs of debilitating disease as testing progresses.
<Status> Unstable

Day 22 of submittance—The Pt's blood cells show sign of promise for possible cure. The Pt is willing to go further into extraction point for Pt Harold Osborn.

Day 29 of submittance—RBC link up to cure rates successful. Further extraction may cause Pt to lose sight, hearing, ability to speak.
<Status> Critical

Signature of finalization: Dr. Norman Osborn
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