MARVEL:ABSOLUTE EVOLUTION (AU)

-[APPRAISAL]-

[Axolotl - Axolotls can regenerate any part of their body, including limbs, spinal cords, heart, and brain tissue, using cellular reprogramming with enough time. Its neoteny and flawless tissue repair make it ideal for regenerative fusion.]

"Whoa… damn, aren't you a treasure trove?" I muttered, staring in awe at the tiny creature in the glass box before me.

I carefully picked up the axolotl, placed it into my storage space, and scanned the area for anything else useful. Aside from a few non-genetically altered spiders, there wasn't much worth taking. I grabbed the spiders anyway—maybe they'd come in handy later—and stashed them in my [Inventory]. Defective radioactive spiders wouldn't help me right now.

'Guess that's it for now…' I thought to myself as I stealthily made my way out of the Oscorp Tower. With a deep breath, I leapt off the rooftop.

The rush of cold air against my body hit like a wake-up call as I landed on a nearby building, crouching instinctively. "Whoa… That was close." I steadied myself before leaping again, crossing to the next rooftop.

'Damn, this is such a hassle,' I grumbled internally. "Flying or swinging like Spider-Man would be way better. Faster too…" Still, I shrugged it off, knowing full well that soon enough, I'd have those abilities.

---

Back home, I collapsed onto my bed with a tired chuckle. "What a night… That place was insane."

Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was already 2 a.m. "Well, tomorrow's Saturday. I've got all the time in the world." Feeling a rush of excitement, I tucked my costume away into my infinite storage space and leaned back against the pillows.

"I wonder how Gwen's going to react tomorrow." A grin spread across my face as I pictured her shock when she realized she could pick up a car or punch through walls with ease.

But there was no time to waste. "Alright, time to make some money."

I grabbed my laptop and powered it on. "Phantom. That's your name now," I thought, smirking at my handy little partner.

---

After hours of hacking for anonymous clients and siphoning funds from thousands of accounts, I'd managed to rake in another $5 million. "That makes it a solid $11 million," I muttered.

"Still not enough for Stark's stock…" I frowned. "Can I even afford 30% of it?" My mind raced with calculations, but I quickly pushed it aside. "Doesn't matter. Once I'm powered up, I'll raid every compound that fat bastard Kingpin owns in New York. He'll be my piggy bank."

I summoned the system with a thought, avoiding the rookie mistake of calling it out loud. Who knows which cosmic entity might be watching?

[PROTOTYPE EVOLUTIONARY SYSTEM]

-[ONLINE]-

[APPRAISAL]

[MERGE/EVOLVE]

[SLOT-1] + [SLOT-2] = ?

[INVENTORY]

The familiar mechanical voice echoed in my head, cold and detached.

I noticed something new: Slots.

"Why are the slots available again now?" I asked mentally, recalling how they'd disappeared after my last fusion.

[The slots become available once the host has fully fused with the genes of the last species.]

"Ah, got it." I nodded internally. "So, the slots will disappear again after I merge two species?"

[Yes, host.]

"Why so many limitations?" I muttered, feeling a twinge of frustration. I took a deep breath to calm down before a grin spread across my face. "Doesn't matter. I already know what to fuse next."

Curious, I asked, "Hey, system, can I also merge objects? Like any electronic device or similar items?"

[Yes, host. Objects and technologies with compatible properties can be merged.]

My heart skipped a beat. "Yes!" I couldn't contain my excitement. The possibilities seemed endless now.

But then a crazier thought crossed my mind. "Can I also merge supernatural artifacts, like Infinity Stones, into my body?"

[No, the system cannot handle such artifacts yet, as they hold the fundamental laws and principles of the universe. Attempting to merge them would result in your death.]

"Why?" I frowned, mentally pressing for an explanation.

[Your body isn't strong enough to withstand the power of artifacts capable of destroying a universe.]

"Figures," I muttered. "Alright, no more suicidal ideas. Instant power-ups are tempting, but I'd rather live to see another day." I sighed, taking a moment to clear my racing thoughts.

---

By the time I looked at the clock again, it was 3:45 a.m.

"Crap, it's already morning!" I cursed internally, realizing how late it was.

Mental exhaustion hit me like a truck as I muttered, "I need some sleep. Gwen's waiting tomorrow…"

With that, I let the weariness of the night drag me under, drifting into a deep sleep.

---

[8:12am]

[Gwen's POV]

I woke up with a gasp, my heart racing so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. My entire body ached, but it wasn't the kind of ache you'd get from the flu or overexertion. This was different—sharper, heavier. I felt... wrong.

Kicking off my tangled sheets, I sat up, blinking against the early morning light streaming through my window. My skin was damp with sweat, and my head was spinning. I glanced down at my hands, wiped my clammy palms on my pyjama pants, and froze.

My hands didn't look like mine. The skin was smooth and perfect, not a single mark or blemish. Even the tiny scar I'd gotten from cutting myself on a glass jar last month was gone.

"What the hell?" I whispered, flexing my fingers.

The motion felt odd, almost too easy, like my muscles were working overtime without me even trying. Pushing myself off the bed, I stumbled to the bathroom, my legs feeling too light and weirdly strong at the same time.

The second my foot hit the hardwood floor, it groaned loudly under the pressure. I stopped, staring at the spot. That didn't make sense—I hadn't stepped that hard. Shaking my head, I kept moving, gripping the sink for balance.

The cold porcelain grounded me for a second, but as I looked up at the mirror, I nearly didn't recognise myself. My face looked sharper somehow, my eyes clearer. And my muscles, as I pulled up my t-shirt, saw that my chubby tummy, which I used to have, had become taut with muscles ... I wasn't imagining it. I looked stronger like I'd spent weeks training at the gym overnight.

"No, no, no," I mumbled, backing away from the mirror. This couldn't be real. I was just tired. I just needed to—

The sink cracked.

I stared at it, wide-eyed, my hand still gripping the edge too tightly. "Oh my god," I whispered, jerking my hand back like I'd been burned.

My heart pounded harder as I crouched down, staring at the damage. The porcelain was shattered where my fingers had pressed into it, deep grooves that shouldn't have been possible.

"Thank God… Dad isn't home; otherwise, I don't know how to explain this." I sighed that Dad had already gone to work early like usual.

"What is happening to me?" My voice cracked as I stumbled back, clutching the wall for support.

The wallpaper under my hand felt rough like I could feel every little bump and tear in the texture. It was overwhelming, too much at once. I tried to pull my hand away, but something strange happened—it stuck.

"What the—" I tugged harder, but my palm wouldn't budge.

Panic surged through me as I yanked my hand again, harder this time. It came free with a sudden lurch, and I stumbled backward, nearly falling on my ass. My breathing was ragged now, my pulse pounding in my ears.

Testing it again, I pressed my hand against the wall. Sure enough, it stuck instantly, like I was a walking piece of duct tape.

"No way. No freaking way," I muttered, staring at my hand in disbelief.

I placed my other hand on the wall and slowly pushed up, testing the strength of the grip. To my horror—and a little bit of amazement—my feet left the ground. I was hanging off the wall like some kind of human spider.

"This can't be real," I whispered, lowering myself back down. My legs wobbled as I hit the floor, but I stayed upright, my head spinning with everything I'd just seen.

The spider. That stupid spider from Oscorp.

I groaned, rubbing my face with both hands as yesterday's events played back in my mind. The bite. The weird feeling that hit me right after. Peter's voice echoed in my head: 'Call me if something unusual happens.'

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, my hands trembling as I scrolled to his number.

He picked up after the second ring. "Gwen?"

"Hey, um..." I hesitated, swallowing hard. "You remember what you said? About calling if something happens?"

There was a pause on the other end. "Yeah. What's going on?"

I glanced back at the sink, at the cracks my fingers had left behind, and then at the wall where I'd just been dangling like a bug. My voice wavered as I answered.

..

..

…