Spider-Gwen's My Neighbour

Power.

A sudden, overwhelming force surged through Jack Kadere's body like lightning in his veins.

Every nerve, every muscle—reborn.

A sleek black bracelet materialized silently around his wrist. Its surface shimmered faintly in the light.

This was the dormant form of the Knight Spider Suit.

At the same time, knowledge began to flood his brain—engineering data, schematics, formulas. Everything he needed to build a functional web-shooter… if he ever needed one. But honestly?

With flight already unlocked, Jack felt like the classic web-swinging approach might be redundant.

Suddenly, Gwen pressed a hand against her chest, her brows furrowing.

"Gwen? What's wrong?" Jessica noticed first, her voice laced with concern.

"I just… felt a flutter. Like my heart skipped," Gwen muttered.

Jessica's expression shifted from curious to alarmed. She shoved Jack lightly. "Hey, genius, don't just sit there like a confused NPC. Help her!"

Jack snapped to attention. Sitting down beside Gwen, he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to assess the situation calmly. Was it because of my new abilities? Did the link between us cause her Spider-Sense to react?

He kept his voice soft. "You want to get checked out? I can take you to Metro-General. Dr. Strange works there now. I'll call ahead—he'll see us right away."

"Dr. Strange…?" Gwen hesitated.

The memory still felt fresh—getting bitten in an OsCorp lab over the summer. She'd been doing an internship, and during a visit to a genetics division crawling with experimental arachnids, one had tagged her. At first, she thought it was just a weird allergic reaction…

But then the agility, reflexes, and wall-climbing began.

Now, the uncertainty clawed at her. What if there's something wrong inside? Something she couldn't sense yet?

Jack saw the hesitation in her eyes and made the decision for her.

He stood up and—with no warning—scooped her into a bridal carry.

"Come on, Gwen. No need to be shy with me."

"J-Jack! I'm fine!" Gwen flailed, half-laughing, half-protesting. "You don't have to carry me like this!"

The mighty Ghost-Spider, hoisted like a princess by a civilian? Ridiculous.

Still… not unpleasant.

...

Metro-General Hospital, one of New York's most advanced medical centers. Jack's custom-modded car, cooler than most sports models, pulled up smoothly to the front entrance. The engine purred as it shut off.

The hospital wasn't exactly a walk-in clinic. Coming here just for a check-up might seem overkill—but connections were connections.

"You sure we don't need an appointment?" Jessica asked, stepping out of the car behind them.

"We're fine," Jack said with a shrug. "Strange owes me more than a few favors."

True to his word, none of the staff stopped them as they entered. Jack led the girls through the corridor and straight into a private diagnostics wing.

Inside, a sharply dressed man with a neatly trimmed goatee looked up from his tablet.

"Well, well," he said, the corner of his mouth curling. "What brings the great painter Jack Kadere to my humble place of work? Did your ego finally manifest physically and need surgical removal?"

Dr. Stephen Strange, the best neurosurgeon in the city—and the man destined to become the Sorcerer Supreme—stood with the effortless arrogance of someone used to saving lives and being smarter than everyone else.

Jack smirked. "Still bitter I never painted your portrait, huh?"

Strange chuckled. "You wouldn't survive it. Besides, I prefer impressionists."

Jack sat casually across from him. "No time for art debates. I sent you a message."

"I got it. Told my team to prepare everything," Strange replied, handing over a slip of paper from his desk. "Here's the check-up request form. Lab's already cleared."

Jack passed it to Jessica. "You go with Gwen for the tests. I'll hang back and chat with the doc."

Jessica squinted. "You're bailing on the cute sick girl just to gossip with another man? Jack, you're hopeless."

"Jess!" Gwen hissed, tugging at her friend. "Come on!"

Jack watched the two girls disappear down the corridor, sipping their coffee and laughing quietly as they went.

He hadn't stayed behind just to avoid accompanying Gwen—he had a goal in mind.

If his new system worked the way he suspected, interacting with key figures like Stephen Strange might trigger quests. And Strange wasn't just any doctor—he was the future Sorcerer Supreme. If Jack was lucky, this might lead to a magical template. Maybe even something reality-bending.

"You know I'm technically on duty, Jack," Strange muttered, raising a brow. "This isn't exactly a coffee shop."

And yet, he didn't stop talking.

"The last time I passed by your old manor in Greenwich, I was hoping to snag a painting," he added casually. "Gate was locked. Don't tell me you moved?"

"I did," Jack replied with a shrug. "It was too quiet. I missed the energy of the Lower East Side."

Strange chuckled. "If you're broke, just say so. I'll commission a portrait."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Please. I only paint beautiful women."

"Nudes?" Strange asked with a smirk, pouring two cups of coffee from the nearby machine. "Sometimes I question your artistic ethics."

Jack stirred his coffee idly. "For this coffee, I'll pretend you're funny."

Strange leaned back. "So, you just gave up the mansion?"

"I offered to loan it out. You interested?"

"Sure—until you bring someone home and kick me out."

Jack smiled. "You know me too well."

Strange glanced toward the hallway. "You didn't move back just for the atmosphere, did you? Something tells me those two girls had something to do with it."

Jack didn't deny it. "Maybe."

"Are they even of age?"

"…Stephen, I'm not asking you to cover for anything."

"Just making sure," Strange said flatly.