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[Frog] Chapter 146: The New Battle Suit – Arch No. 5
🕑 Added 2024-11-05 16:59:30 +0000 UTCAlan found himself momentarily at a loss.
This wasn’t how Gwen usually acted, at least not in his impression. Gwen was currently nuzzling up to him, rubbing against him constantly. If he hadn’t been training his psychic powers for so long, building strong self-discipline, he might’ve already fallen prey to Gwen’s advances.
Gwen, like a playful kitten with its favorite treat in sight, continued to nestle against Alan, inhaling the pleasant scent he seemed to exude. “Alan, how do you keep your body in such great shape? Teach me…”
With a mischievous smile, Gwen tilted her head and looked up at him, her eyes gleaming with the same look of a kitten begging for treats.
Alan, peering down her neckline, could just make out the dark spider suit beneath her clothes.
The suit had initially been designed in a red and black color scheme, but this black was different—darker, almost alive.
When Gwen walked through the door earlier, Alan immediately sensed something unusual: her spider suit had turned black, her emotions were exaggerated, and there was that spaceship that fell from space last night. All clues pointed to one thing: a symbiote suit.
This was the beginning of a powerful future nemesis of Spider-Man—Venom.
The symbiote suit didn’t just enhance Gwen’s spider abilities; more importantly, it amplified her emotions. That was why she was acting so out of character today. Slowly, the suit was subtly influencing Gwen’s emotions and personality. If this went on too long and she couldn’t remove the suit, Gwen would inevitably end up as a darker, “blackened” version of Spider-Woman.
But with Alan around, he wasn’t going to let things spiral out of control. As exciting as this version of Gwen was, he still preferred the shy Gwen, the one who blushed like a red apple at the slightest flirtation.
He raised his hand, a small trace of golden light at his fingertips, and gently tapped Gwen’s temple. Instantly, Gwen felt a refreshing clarity wash over her. Looking down, she realized she was clinging onto Alan.
The symbiote might amplify Gwen’s emotions, but it didn’t affect her memories. Even as her mind cleared, she vividly remembered everything she had done since walking in.
“What’s the matter, Miss Spider-Woman? Would you like me to give you a full lesson on maintaining a fit body?” Alan teased, lifting her chin.
Snapping back to her senses, Gwen’s face turned beet red as she covered it and bolted toward her room.
Alan chuckled, giving Pikachu on his shoulder a pat. “You’ve got all your snacks packed up, right? Once Gwen comes out, we’re moving to the new place.”
Pikachu, still clueless about what just happened but thrilled by the mention of a new home, cheered, “Pika… chu!”
“Then get packing—I’ll be waiting outside.” Pikachu leapt off Alan’s shoulder and scurried off to his room to prepare.
Meanwhile, Alan settled onto the sofa and looked toward his computer. “Red Queen, did you notice anything unusual with Gwen’s suit?”
The computer screen displayed the suit’s self-diagnostics. All data indicated that Gwen’s suit was in perfect condition. Red Queen confirmed, “Master, Miss Gwen’s suit is fully functional. I detected no issues. Did something happen, Master?”
Red Queen’s response caused Alan to frown thoughtfully, and soon he realized the problem.
Although the symbiote suit was unique, it was still, at its core, a single-celled organism. Red Queen’s database didn’t have any information on this alien lifeform, and because the symbiote didn’t interfere with the suit’s basic functionality, only Gwen herself was affected.
As a result, the self-diagnostics didn’t detect any abnormalities.
But…
“Well, since it’s here, no need to let it go,” Alan muttered with a sly smile. “Red Queen, prepare a biological containment chamber in the new house’s lab and set up a sonic program.”
“Understood, Master.”
Inside Gwen’s room, she buried her head in her hands, replaying those outrageous moments in her mind, her face growing hotter by the second.
“Aahhh…” She muttered to herself, thoroughly embarrassed. Why had she acted like that? At the time, all she could think about was reaching out and touching Alan’s muscles.
But it was just a fleeting thought—she didn’t really dare act on it. By the time she regained her senses, she was already in Alan’s arms, asking him all those strange, silly questions.
And then… and then… his scent… Alan smelled so good…
Suddenly, the ventilation system in Gwen’s room kicked in, cooling her down and helping her calm her mind bit by bit. After a few moments, the redness on her face started to fade.
“Gwen, if you don’t come out soon, you’ll be stuck in this house all alone,” Alan called out from outside her door.
Gwen, who’d been considering staying quiet, was taken aback by his second remark. “Alan, what are you talking about?” she asked, her voice trailing off as she recalled the earlier scene.
Standing outside, Alan, with his enhanced senses, could hear her soft words through the door. He replied, “The new place is ready. We’re moving there now. If you don’t come along, you’ll be left here by yourself,” he teased with a smile.
After a few moments, Gwen opened the door and walked out, looking a bit embarrassed with a faint blush still on her cheeks. “Alright, let’s go,” she said, barely able to look him in the eye.
Seeing her shy demeanor, Alan gave a satisfied smile. This was the Gwen he knew—much better than the symbiote-influenced version.
Though… that version had its charms, too, he mused.
“Pika… pika…” came a small, struggling sound from down the hallway. As Alan started to leave, Gwen turned to see Pikachu dragging a huge bag of snacks with great effort.
Seeing Alan was occupied, Gwen relaxed a little and turned to Pikachu, who hadn’t been as affected. “Wow, Pikachu, you really packed a lot of snacks!” she said, amused.
Pikachu, panting, weakly replied, “Pika… chu…”
“Let me help you,” Gwen offered, leaning down to pick up the bag.
Pikachu sighed in relief, “Pika…~”
With Pikachu’s snacks in hand, they followed Alan downstairs and got into the car. Gwen sat in the passenger seat, too shy to glance in Alan’s direction, and the car ride was filled with a curious silence until they arrived at the new house.
Before long, Alan led Gwen and Pikachu to their new place. This new house was entirely managed by the Red Queen, much like how J.A.R.V.I.S. served as Tony Stark’s assistant.
As they approached, the Red Queen recognized them and automatically opened the door.
The Red Queen’s virtual avatar appeared by the entrance, welcoming them, “Welcome to your new home, Master, and Miss Gwen.”
Gwen and Pikachu stood stunned for a moment as they took in the luxurious surroundings. It was beyond anything they’d ever imagined, and with the Red Queen’s digital figure standing by, the house seemed even more surreal. Could a home really be this advanced?
“Red Queen will show you to your rooms,” Alan said. “Gwen, once you’ve seen yours, come find me. Red Queen will guide you.”
Gwen, still somewhat in shock, replied instinctively, “Okay.”
“Miss Gwen, Pikachu,” the Red Queen said, “please follow me this way.”
Her avatar floated a few inches above the ground, leading them down a hallway. Gwen followed closely, while Alan headed up to the second floor.
On the second floor, apart from a scenic viewing area and a bar, several enclosed glass-walled rooms were dedicated as experimental zones, designed by Alan with future needs in mind. He approached one of these rooms, and the door opened automatically. Inside, the dark lab illuminated as he entered.
A projection of the Red Queen appeared, reporting, “The setup is complete, Master.”
A cylindrical biological containment chamber stood in the room, not far from Alan. The equipment from his previous small workshop had also been moved here. Now, new Spider suits could be manufactured on-site.
On the wall to his left, three Spider suits were displayed in a neat row, awaiting use.
Next to the three Spider suits, there was a faintly outlined fourth suit—it was the liquid Vibranium suit, newly developed by the Red Queen.
And now, it was finally complete. Vibranium’s versatility had significantly sped up the production of this liquid suit.
With a flick of Alan’s hand, the suit formed smoothly in mid-air, transforming into a sleek, white wristwatch with a feminine design. Alan admired it, nodding in satisfaction, “Alright, let Gwen know she can come in.”
In another large room, Gwen lay comfortably on her bed, sunlight streaming across it. This new house had similar sunlit designs in every room. “This is amazing!” she murmured, rolling happily across the bed, the earlier tension at Alan’s place seemingly forgotten.
In a room nearby, Pikachu was eagerly arranging his snacks in one of the two cabinets specially set up for him, thanks to the Red Queen’s guidance. His little tail wiggled with excitement as he organized his stockpile.
After Gwen explored her room, the Red Queen reminded her, “Miss Gwen, the Master is waiting for you.”
At the mention of Alan, Gwen’s cheeks flushed again. “Alright,” she murmured shyly. As she stood up, the Red Queen added, “Miss Gwen, the Master also asked that you bring your Spider suit with you.”
Spider suit?
Gwen suddenly remembered she was still wearing the black Spider suit. She’d meant to take it off and wash it, but somehow she’d gotten so distracted!
Quickly, she slipped out of the suit and felt an immediate sense of relief.
“Why do I feel like everything’s been so strange today?” Gwen thought, holding the suit in her hands. Following the Red Queen’s directions, she headed toward the lab.
When she entered, she saw Alan’s back and couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander.
“Alan, I brought the Spider suit,” she announced.
Alan turned to her, “Great, give it to me.” He held out a different item instead—a watch. “Here’s a gift for you. Try it on.”
“For me?” Gwen’s eyes lit up with joy as she took the watch. It was beautiful, and she couldn’t hide her excitement.
“You like it?” Alan asked, smiling.
“I love it!” Gwen exclaimed. If the symbiote suit had still been influencing her, she might have done something impulsive in her excitement.
“Go ahead, try it on,” he encouraged, “and remember, once it’s on, press down on the face. There’s a surprise.”
Curious, Gwen strapped on the watch and, following his instructions, tapped the face. She realized the cover seemed movable, but her first attempt was too gentle. Trying again with more pressure, she felt the cover sink, and instantly, the entire watch transformed.
The watch’s silver liquid spread across her hand, then her arm, and soon covered her entire body.
As it enveloped her, the suit shifted into Gwen’s favorite colors—pink and white, with a stylish hood in the back.
Gwen stared in amazement at her hands. “Alan, this… this is incredible!” she gasped. “So cool!”
Everything that had just happened was beyond anything Gwen had imagined. She could hardly believe that her Spider suit could be worn in this way.
“This suit,” Alan said with a smile, “is only the initial form of the liquid suit.” He added, “Even Tony’s suits have names. Want to give this one a name?”
Inspired, Gwen looked at her hands, then at the other suits displayed on the wall and the one Alan held.
“Then… let’s call it Arch… Arch No. 5,” she decided, looking to Alan to see what he thought.
But just as she smiled at him, her face suddenly changed.
“Alan, throw that suit away… now!”
…
