Peter, It’s All Because of You!

Peter sat listlessly in the empty room, thinking of nothing, saying nothing, doing nothing, while Gwen’s words continued to circle through his mind.

Had I done something wrong? he couldn’t help asking himself.

After thinking it over from every angle, he didn’t believe he had done anything wrong. It wasn’t that he trusted S.H.I.E.L.D. more than Gwen; he trusted his own eyes and the evidence he had seen with them.

Was there really anything wrong with acknowledging reality?

Still, women had the privilege of being unreasonable, so Peter decided to investigate the evidence against Chief Stacy. He was certain he would find nothing, but at least he had to show his girlfriend that he was taking her concerns seriously. Perhaps then he would still have a chance of winning Gwen’s heart back.

All the evidence was in Peter’s head. He planned to start with the witnesses, spending several days visiting the Hydra peripheral agents who had confessed, to see whether they had any personal grudges against Chief Stacy and whether he could find some angle from which to discredit their evidence.

Over the next few days, Peter used his connections with S.H.I.E.L.D. to visit quite a few Hydra peripheral agents who had been placed in the Witness Protection Program. From them, Peter learned quite a bit about George Stacy’s time training with Hydra. Yet the testimonies of all these different people fit together perfectly, without the slightest flaw.

After wasting several days on this fruitless investigation, Peter figured Gwen should have calmed down. He took his findings and went to see her again, hoping to ask her to get back together.

After wearing out his tongue trying to persuade her, Mrs. Stacy finally made the decision on Gwen’s behalf and opened the door to let Peter in.

Peter nodded gratefully to Mrs. Stacy, then went to the bedroom door and knocked. "Gwen, can I come in?"

There was no answer from inside. Peter pushed the door open and saw Gwen sitting by the window with her back to him.

Peter went over and reached an arm around Gwen’s shoulders. Gwen shifted and brushed his hand away, but he stubbornly kept pestering her. After Gwen half-heartedly resisted, Peter finally pulled her into his arms.

Seeing that Gwen’s attitude had softened, Peter was overjoyed. He apologized first, then piled on the sweet talk before finally telling her about the investigation he had been conducting these past few days.

Gwen’s attention immediately turned to him. She asked anxiously, "Well? Did you find any evidence?"

Peter shook his head awkwardly. "I visited the Hydra peripheral agents who had signed plea agreements and been placed in the Witness Protection Program, but their testimonies were all very consistent. They, they…"

Gwen immediately lost her temper. She wriggled out of his arms, flung his hand away, and snapped, "Did you come here just to tell me that your investigation proved my father really is Hydra?"

"No, no, that’s not what I mean. I’m saying that things haven’t gone smoothly so far, but I’ll keep investigating." Peter had learned his lesson. No matter what, he had to placate his girlfriend first.

"You already decided in your heart that my father is Hydra. That’s why you ignored all the details you should have noticed during your investigation!"

"I swear, Gwen, I investigated Chief Stacy because I believed he was a good man. I tried to find evidence that those people had a grudge against Chief Stacy, but I found nothing. They had no reason to frame him…"

In the middle of their argument, the doorbell suddenly rang. After Mrs. Stacy opened the door, two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents walked in. After showing their identification, they said to Gwen:

"Gwen Stacy, you are under arrest for allegedly participating in a subversive organization. You have the right to remain silent…"

Peter was already irritated that he couldn’t convince Gwen. When he saw this scene, he was so furious he nearly went mad. He snatched the arrest warrant and tore it to pieces, roaring, "Are you blind? Gwen’s just a high school student! What the hell does she have to do with Hydra?"

The two agents frowned and reached for the pistols at their waists. "Thor, you’re also a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Don’t break the law! If you resist arrest, we have the right to shoot you on the spot!"

As he spoke, he shot a threatening glance at Gwen and Mrs. Stacy beside him.

Peter flew into a rage. A nameless fury surged through him, nearly burning away his reason. He reached out, intending to crush the two vermin in front of him to death, but the moment he raised his hand, Gwen threw her arms around him.

"Don’t, Peter!"

"You can’t kill them, or you’ll become a wanted criminal. S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t let you off either."

"Peter, do you see it now? This is the S.H.I.E.L.D. you trust. I’ll go with them. If you still believe the results of their investigation, then today will be the last time we ever see each other."

After saying that, Gwen surrendered without resisting and was taken away by the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

Peter wanted to rush to S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately and demand an explanation, but Mrs. Stacy was already sobbing uncontrollably, collapsed on the floor, and unable to care for herself. Peter had no choice but to stay and comfort her. After much reassurance, he finally persuaded Mrs. Stacy to remain calm and wait for the results of his investigation.

After leaving Gwen’s home, Peter rushed to S.H.I.E.L.D. without stopping.

This time, Director Garrett seemed to have anticipated his arrival and had already prepared coffee while waiting for him. But Peter was in no mood for coffee. He dropped into the chair in front of Director Garrett and stared intently at him, hoping he could provide a reasonable explanation.

"Peter, everything is because of you!" The moment Director Garrett spoke, he stunned Peter, who had been ready to demand an explanation.

"Our investigation found that when Hydra recruits new members, it often first infiltrates the recruits’ relatives and friends, turning them into its own people. It then subtly influences the recruits’ thoughts."

"And this time, you were Hydra’s target. So naturally, they would first recruit the people around you, such as George Stacy, and Gwen Stacy."

"Impossible!" Peter couldn’t accept this explanation at all.

"Peter, think carefully. Before and after Thomas contacted you, did Gwen try to get in touch with you and influence your thinking?"

Peter froze. Then he remembered that when Thomas came looking for him, he had been with Gwen. After Thomas left, Gwen had also called him several times.

But he immediately shook his head. "Gwen and I are deeply in love. Whether Thomas showed up or not, Gwen would still be calling me all the time."

Director Garrett nodded. "That’s true. That is indeed possible. But what if we add the possibility that George Stacy is Hydra?"

Peter’s breathing faltered, but he still refused to believe that conclusion. "Even if George Stacy is Hydra, that doesn’t mean his daughter is Hydra too!"

"But we can’t rule out that possibility. We’re only investigating her for now. If the facts prove Gwen is innocent, we’ll naturally release her."

Director Garrett patted Peter on the shoulder and said meaningfully, "Peter, you have to trust S.H.I.E.L.D.! We won’t let a single bad person go, and we won’t wrong a single good person either!"

Peter felt that Director Garrett’s words made sense, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"But, but Gwen isn’t Hydra at all! I can guarantee that!" Peter couldn’t help growing anxious.

"Peter, since Gwen isn’t Hydra, what does it matter if S.H.I.E.L.D. investigates her? Or is it that, deep down, you’re actually afraid of something?"