That afternoon, Uncle Ben took his wife to the bank.

  They paid off the me they had been carrying for over twenty years.

  On the way back, they stopped by the supermarket and bought steaks they usually couldn't afford.

  The two elders were beyond words to describe their joy.

  The moment the loan was cleared, they felt ten years younger.

  "Peter, I'm so proud of him."

  Aunt May held Uncle Ben's arm, a kind smile on her face.

  Uncle Ben nodded.

  "That's enough. We 't spend any more of the money. Paying off the loan already took a big k."

  "We 't touch the rest. Peter will need money for college, and that's going to be a signifit expense."

  "Plus, he'll start dating soon. It's about that time. If he ends up with Gwen, we 't let her feel shortged."

  "And iure, he'll o buy a house…"

  …

  Meanwhile, Peter, still at home, had no idea his elders were thinking so far ahead.

  If he had known, he would've spent a big portion of the money on random things first.

  Uncle Ben and Aunt May were just tal!

  Just then, there was a knock at the door.

  It was Gwen.

  "What's this?"

  Peter was surprised. Gwen, with her short blonde hair, was holding a bouquet of sunflowers and a rge tub of chocote H?agen-Dazs.

  "gratutions! You're finally free from the hard times!"

  Gwen fshed a bright, pyful smile.

  As the only daughter of the poliissioner, if Gwen wahe stars, Gee would find a way to get them for her.

  Her life was undeniably luxurious.

  H?agen-Dazs, an ice cream brand most people couldn't afford, filled her freezer.

  She had never shared it with Peter before, not because she was stingy, but because she didn't want him to feel inferior around her.

  Gwen alaid attention to the little details to make sure Peter felt fortable.

  Now, with Peter being a millionaire, she no longer had to wear cheap, low-quality clothes to match his lifestyle.

  "This fvor is my favorite. Give it a try."

  Peter scooped a spoonful and tasted it.

  "Hmm, it's really good."

  "You're so good to me."

  Gwen smiled faintly, her toeasing.

  "Do you say that to every girl?"

  Peter quickly de.

  "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

  Gwen snorted lightly.

  "Liar."

  Not long ago, she had e here as Spider-Woman. Although it was to treat her wound, there had been some intimate tact.

  Before leaving, she had even impulsively kissed Peter.

  Peter had never mentioned any of this.

  The feeling of being jealous of herself was not pleasant.

  Peter seemed to sense what Gwen was thinking and spoke up.

  "There's actually something I fot to tell you."

  "You know Spider-Woman from the news, right? A while ago, we met. She was injured, and I helped bandage her up."

  "Oh? Was her figure good?"

  Peter: "…"

  Gwen, you're really something…

  "I guess it was fine. I was focused on her wound at the time. I didn't have the ce to notice her figure."

  As they chatted, the TV was broadcasting news about the ret battle with the Rhino.

  The i had caused quite a stir.

  Because the Rhino's death was too gruesome!

  There was hardly a patch of ski on his body!

  His corpse was shown unsored, leaving many feeling physically ill.

  Some even began to sympathize with the Rhinuing that criminals should be punished by the w, not through viginte justice.

  While much of this outcry was likely fueled by media sensationalism, Peter didn't care.

  At the same time, the media had giveer a new, resounding title:

  The Punisher!

  Gwen watched the news about the Punisher ily.

  "What, Gwen? Are you ied in the Punisher? Do you like him or something?"

  "Like him? No way! But I doly hate him either."

  "After all, he's fighting crime too, but his methods are just too extreme. He doesn't always have to go for the kill, right?"

  "I think Batman, eared in Gotham st year, is much better. He never kills and always hands criminals over to the police."

  Gwen didn't dislike the Punisher, mainly because he had killed the Rhino, ily avenging her.

  But she couldn't accept his methods.

  Too extreme, too violent!

  Eveoriously brutal NYPD seemed like well-behaved schoolchildren pared to him.

  "I see." Peter nodded, not saying much.

  One day, Gwen would uand that he was right.

  "Alright, I won't stay long!"

  "Oh, by the way, my dad invited you over for dinner. Lemon sea bass!"

  Peter nodded.

  "I'll definitely be there. I've got some things to take care ht now."

  "What things?"

  "Not telling."

  Five mier, Peter had ged into his bat suit.

  Six mier, he appeared in a luxurious vil twelve kilometers away.

  Something had been b him.

  That guy, Dice.

  Earlier that m, the force behind his baseball throw was clearly meant to kill!

  If Peter had still been an ordinary persoing hit in the head by that ball could've left him in a vegetative state.

  So, even though Dice was just an ordinary guy and posed little threat to Peter, he couldn't be left alone.

  Even a small threat is still a threat.

  It's only safe o's dealt with.